Honmyō-ji, Buddhist temple in Sugamo, Japan
Honmyō-ji is a Buddhist temple with traditional Japanese architecture situated in the Sugamo district. The grounds contain a main hall, a bell tower, and several smaller structures arranged across a spacious property with stone pathways and gardens.
The temple was founded in 1571 by samurai serving Tokugawa Ieyasu. It relocated to its present location in Sugamo between 1908 and 1911.
The temple serves as a place where local residents come to offer prayers and perform traditional rituals throughout the year. You'll notice how people naturally move through the grounds to light incense and make offerings at different shrines.
The temple is located in Toshima ward and is easily accessible to visitors. Handwritten calligraphy stamps and other souvenirs are available at the temple office beside the main hall.
The main hall survived the 1945 Tokyo air raids because of an air raid shelter on the temple grounds. While surrounding structures were destroyed, this core building and its shelter protected what exists there today.
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