Tennoji Temple
Tennoji Temple, the oldest among Yanaka's numerous temples in Tokyo, represents the Tendai sect of Buddhism, originating in 1274 and now standing adjacent to Yanaka Cemetery near Nippori Station.
The temple was shut down by the government in the late 1600s, reportedly for beliefs considered wrong. It started again in 1699 as part of Kan'eiji Temple after Kan'eiji was damaged in the 1868 Battle of Ueno. Renowned as a Tendai sect temple, Tennoji became the sanctuary of the deity Bishamonten, revered in Japan as a god of bravery and resources.
During the Edo Period, the government permitted certain temples to conduct lotteries for fundraising, with Tennoji being the primary draw until 1842, when the permission was revoked. This led to a bustling commercial and entertainment hub along the path leading to the temple, now known as the serene "Cherry Blossom Avenue" in Yanaka Cemetery.
Within the Tennoji Temple grounds once stood a monumental 35-meter, five-story pagoda constructed in 1908. However, a notorious incident in 1957 involving a young seamstress and her lover led to the pagoda's devastating fire, reducing it to mere granite foundations, an area now enclosed within a nondescript plot with a commemorative plaque.
Address: 7 Chome-14-8 Yanaka, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0001, Japan
Phone: 03-5785-3481
Website: http://www.tendaitokyo.jp/jiinmei/tennoji/
