東光寺, Buddhist temple in Meguro-ku, Japan
Toko-ji Temple is a Buddhist temple in Meguro-ku featuring multiple prayer halls, traditional gates, and a bell tower arranged within a garden setting. The grounds include a cemetery, a sacred waterfall and pond, along with various structures dedicated to different Buddhist deities.
The temple was established during the Edo period as one of five protective shrines strategically positioned around Edo, now Tokyo. This placement served as a spiritual safeguard for the growing city and defined its role in the region's religious landscape.
The temple serves as an active place of worship where visitors can observe daily prayer rituals and incense offerings made by local followers. The cemetery grounds reflect how the community honors its historical figures and maintains spiritual connections with the past.
The temple is easily accessible by train, located about a 10-minute walk from Fudo-mae Station on the Tokyu Meguro Line. The grounds are generally open during daytime hours for visitors to explore at their own pace.
According to legend, a monk threw a vajra to determine where the temple should be built, which caused a sacred waterfall and pond to appear at that exact spot. This spiritual origin story makes these water features especially meaningful to visitors exploring the grounds.
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