Premium Night Concert at Temple in Tokyo

Tour summary

The tour is about 2 hours long, starting at 7pm and finishing around 9pm. You will learn about the temple and its rich history. Afterwards you will be able to watch a live Buddhist Gagaku Sutra performance in person. You will learn about each of the instruments used in the performance, including the temple’s massive organ. After the performance, you can take photos near the main object of worship at the temple with the Buddhist priests.

About Tsukiji Hongwanji

Tsukiji Hongwanji is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha denomination, also known as Shin Buddhism, which was founded by the monk Shinran (1173-1263) and whose head temple is Hongwanji (Nishi Hongwanji) in Kyoto. The temple was first built near Asakusa, but was burnt down in a fire in 1657 and rebuilt at its current location in 1679. At that time, the area where the temple stands now was the sea. Temple followers and others implemented a land reclamation project and rebuilt the temple on the new land. In 1923, the temple was again destroyed by fire caused by the Great Kanto earthquake, and, in 1934, the current Hondo (main worship hall) was rebuilt according to a design by renowned architect Ito Chuta. In 2014, the temple’s main worship hall, gate posts (Main gate, North gate, and South gate), and stone walls were designated as National Important Cultural Properties. “Tsukiji” means “reclaimed land” and signifies the origins of the site on which the temple stands.

Tour Itenary

19:00 Meeting And Pickup

［Meeting point］ Go straight through the main gate of Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple and go up the stairs of the building in front of you.
［Reception time］18:45-19:00
※ If you are late, it will be considered a cancellation. You cannot cancel your application after applying

19:15 Explanation of the itinerary and entrance to the main hall

You will be greeted by your guide and you will be guided to a waiting area. There, your guide will information you the tour itinerary. After that, you can finally enter the main hall of Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple at night.

19:25 Short Video About Tsukiji Hongwanji

Though this is a temple, it is infused with a sense of the modern world. There are a few TV monitors in the main hall and on these there will be a short informational video detailing some of the history of the temple and its surrounding area.

19:35 Gagaku Performance

Each player will play an instrument from Gagaku, which is traditional Japanese music. At the end, the three instruments play together and you can hear the beautiful harmony.

19:45 Musical Service

To start, there will be some Buddhist chanting. There will be a sutra reading performance by more than 10 Buddhist priests. You will be overwhelmed by the buddhist musical memorial service, where multiple voices overlap and create a unique melody.

20:15 Pipe Organ Performance

Music will be played on the pipe organ located above the entrance to the main hall. The organ trumpets, blasts and booms its way through the halls of the temple spilling out of the windows like smoke escaping.

20:30 Special Gagaku and Pipe Organ Performance

The Gagaku performance can resume with the final piece to complete the swirling puzzle of sounds emitting into the night air and complementing each other ever so gently. The dynamic created has a hint of western flavor to expand upon the traditional sounds created by these Japanese instruments from the days of the past.

20:40 Photo Session

After the performance, you are free to take photos of the main hall. You can enter areas that are normally not accessible and take photos near the principal image and Buddhist priests.

20:50 Finish

The tour will end at the scheduled time.

Booking

How was it? This is a rare opportunity to experience a unique Japanese culture. If you would like to apply, you can make a reservation using the link below.

▶︎Make a reservation through Viator