三界寺, Buddhist temple in Setagaya-ku, Japan.
Sankai-ji is a Buddhist temple in Setagaya-ku featuring carefully maintained gardens and traditional wooden buildings with curved roofs and detailed carvings. The structures are arranged around quiet courtyards and landscaped green spaces that give the grounds a calm, ordered feeling.
The temple was founded in 1480 as Kotoku-in and renamed in 1659, reflecting ties to the powerful Ii clan during the Edo period. This name change marked a significant moment as it became an important site associated with this influential samurai family.
The temple follows Soto school Zen Buddhist practices that shape daily life here, with visitors able to observe how meditation and ritual continue to define the space. The layout and design of the grounds reflect these spiritual principles through careful arrangement of buildings and gardens.
The temple is accessible by local train to Setagaya station, followed by a walk of about 10 minutes through residential streets to reach the grounds. Comfortable shoes are recommended since the terrain has multiple levels connected by steps and sloped pathways.
The grounds hold burial sites of multiple Ii clan leaders, including Ii Naosuke, a key figure in the Tokugawa shogunate, located in a quiet area of the temple. These graves reveal the deep historical connection between this location and an important samurai family.
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