Kongo-ji

A restful temple in western Tokyo

Peter Sidell Jun 04, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>The Goddess of Mercy by the main hall</p>

<p>This little chap is near the entrance</p>

<p>One of the statues in the garden before the main hall</p>

<p>There are big azalea bushes in the garden</p>

<p>A statue of a pilgrim whose hat is very effective at shielding his face from the sun</p>

<p>This little chap is sweeping up behind the main hall</p>

<p>I'm not sure quite what it is that this guy is doing</p>

<p>This lady lives in the wilder part behind the main hall</p>

<p>There are some airborne lions under the eaves of the main hall</p>

A few minutes' walk from Kaminoge station in Setagaya ward, Kongo-ji is an attractive little temple with a number of interesting features. There's a pleasant garden in front of the main hall with stone paths, plenty of greenery, and a population of Buddhist statues to admire. The path by the main hall takes you past a statue of the Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) to an unkempt area of greenery at the back, where there are a few more statues to see.

Peter Sidell @peter.sidell

I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.