Shugen-ji temple, Ueno

An interesting, unusual temple near Ueno station

Peter Sidell Apr 06, 2016 - 1 min read

The Korean-style architecture of the gatehouse

Looking up to the bell at the top of the columbarium

A statue in the nokotsudo (columbarium, a hall for storing cremation urns)

A lantern under the eaves of the main hall

In the streets around Asakusa-dori east of Ueno station, it seems like there's a temple around every corner, and one that's worth visiting is Shugen-ji. As well as the peaceful atmosphere typical of Buddhist temples, it has a couple of interesting, unusual features: a Korean-style gatehouse which you can climb inside to see the statues under the roof, and a tall columbarium (a building for storing funeral urns).

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.