Jōzai-ji, Buddhist temple in Minami-Ikebukuro, Japan.
Jōzai-ji is a Buddhist temple in the Minami-Ikebukuro neighborhood featuring traditional Japanese architecture with curved roofs and wooden structural elements. The grounds contain well-maintained buildings with prayer halls and courtyards that create a quiet, orderly setting.
The temple was founded in 1605 by Nittatsu Shonin, establishing a center for Nichiren Buddhist practice in this Tokyo district. The founder later became a significant religious leader, creating a lasting connection between the temple and the broader Buddhist institutional world.
The temple functions as a gathering place where local people come to pray and participate in Buddhist rituals that shape their spiritual life. Inside, visitors observe worshippers meditating and attending ceremonies that reflect the religious practices of the neighborhood.
The temple is reachable by walking eastward from Ikebukuro Station, a journey that takes roughly ten minutes through residential streets. It helps to watch for directional signs along the way, as the route passes through a residential area and can be easy to miss.
The temple preserves objects and documents from the period when its founder served as chief priest before advancing to an even higher position in Buddhist leadership. This collection tells the story of a person whose religious influence spanned several decades.
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