Hongyō-ji, Buddhist temple in Nishi-Nippori, Japan
Hongyō-ji is a Nichiren school temple in Nishi-Nippori, Arakawa, with the mountain name Chōkyū-zan. Its main image is a single pagoda flanked by two honored figures and four bodhisattvas, and its former head temple was Hōon-ji on Hirakawa-yama. The temple stands at the foot of a slope called Gotenzaka, also known as Kojikizaka, one minute on foot from Nippori Station.
Founded in 1526 by Ōta Suketaka, grandson of Ōta Dōkan, with the monk Nichigen as founding abbot, Hongyō-ji belongs to the Nichiren school; its former head temple was Hōon-ji on Hirakawa. The temple moved between sites before settling at Nishi-Nippori in 1709 under the monk Nichichū. In the Edo period it was known as a spot for moon viewing.
The temple serves as a working place where Buddhist priests conduct daily rituals and ceremonies that visitors can witness. It remains a living center for the local community's spiritual life, rooted in traditions passed down through families.
The temple is easily reached by public transportation from central Tokyo and maintains regular opening hours. Visitors should keep quiet while exploring and remove their shoes when entering indoor spaces.
The slope running past the temple gate is called Gotenzaka, also known as Kojikizaka (Beggar's Slope). The temple holds the graves of the Edo-period scholar Ichikawa Kansai and his son Beian, and of Nagai Naoyuki, a Tokugawa official, designated a Tokyo historic site.
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