Ten'on-ji

Ten'on-ji is a Buddhist temple in Okazaki featuring a two-story pagoda that stands out on its grounds. The buildings display sliding screen doors decorated with illustrations by artist Reizei Tamechika, showing how art and religion blend within the space.

Matsudaira Chikatada founded this temple in 1475 to honor fallen Matsudaira soldiers. The site later expanded to include memorial spaces for Tokugawa shoguns, linking it to both regional power and national history.

The temple holds burial sites of eight Matsudaira generations, the local ruling family whose influence shaped the region for centuries. Visitors can see Buddhist memorial tablets dedicated to Tokugawa shoguns, showing how this family was honored across generations.

The temple sits in an openly accessible location with plenty of space to explore the buildings and burial grounds. A morning visit tends to be quieter, and the temple is easy to reach on foot from the town center.

A straight pathway called Vista Line connects this temple directly to nearby Okazaki Castle, offering an unobstructed sight line between the two historical sites. This intentional design feature shows how both structures were consciously placed within the landscape.