Temple sights in West Of Tokyo
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Fuji Sengen-jinja
A necessary preliminary to the ascent was a visit to this deeply wooded, atmospheric temple, built in 1615 but thought to have been the site of a shrine as early as 788. It is worth a visit for its 1000-year-old cedar; its main gate, which is rebuilt every 60 years (slightly larger each time); and its two one-tonne mikoshi used in the annual Yoshida no Himatsuri (Yoshida Fire Festival). From Mt Fuji Station you can walk (15 minutes) or take a bus to Sengen-jinja-mae (¥150, five minutes).
reviewed
-
Gyokusenji
Founded in 1590, this Zen temple is most famous as the first Western consulate in Japan, established in 1856. A small museum has artefacts of the life of Townsend Harris, the first consul general. The bas-relief of a cow in front of the temple depicts the serving of the first glass of milk in Japan, which Harris requested during an illness. It's a 25-minute walk from Shimoda Station, or take bus 9 to Kakizaki-jinja-mae (¥160, five minutes).
reviewed
-
B
Hōfuku-ji
In the centre of town is Hōfuku-ji, a temple that is chiefly a museum memorialising the life of Okichi.
The museum is filled with scenes and artefacts from the various movie adaptations of her life on stage and screen. Okichi's grave is also here, in the far corner of the back garden, next to a faded copper statue. Other stones in this garden are dedicated to her, with the names of actors who played her.
reviewed
-
Chōraku-Ji
Next door to Ryōsen-ji is Chōraku-ji, a pleasant little temple that is worth a quick look.
reviewed
-
Ryōsen-Ji
About 700m south of Izukyū Shimoda Station is Ryōsen-ji, which is now famous as the site where Commodore Perry and representatives of the Tokugawa shōgunate signed a treaty whose conditions (favourable to the US, of course) supplemented those outlined in the Treaty of Kanagawa, which was signed, in 1854.
reviewed