Honryū-in Temple, Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Japan
Honryū-in is a Buddhist temple of the Shōkannon sect on Matsuchi-yama, a hill in Asakusa, Taitō, Tokyo, whose summit at 10 metres is the lowest mountain in Tokyo. Its main images are Kankiten (Shōten) and the Eleven-faced Kannon. A red wooden worship hall with a curved tiled roof and dark barred windows stands above a broad flight of grey stone steps, with black banners bearing white Japanese characters hanging from its pillars.
The hill of Matsuchi-yama is said to have emerged from the Sumida River in September 595, guarded by a dragon, and gave Asakusa Temple its mountain name Kinryū-zan. In 601, during a drought, Kankiten and Eleven-faced Kannon were installed here. In the Edo period, writers and artists visited the hill for its views.
The temple is dedicated to the Shokannon Buddhist sect and forms part of the Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage that visitors can experience walking through the Asakusa neighborhood. People come here seeking blessings for health, family, and prosperity.
The temple can be reached on foot in about ten minutes from Asakusa Station with straightforward directions. A slope car is available for those who prefer not to climb the hillside stairs.
Each January the temple holds a Daikon Festival where radishes are given to visitors. This practice connects to the old tradition of offering these vegetables to the Kankiten deity as a form of gratitude.
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