Overview
Japan's Important Cultural Property designation plays an important role in recognising and protecting the country's heritage. Afforded official government protection, one of the categories listed as an Important Cultural Property includes Old Documents. Here is a guide to where to find Tokyo's sole representative on the Important Cultural Property Old Documents listing.
Tokuzo-ji Temple
Step outside of central Tokyo and you come across a world just as interesting as anything that can be found amongst the brand name crowds of the capital. Higashimurayama City, some thirty minutes by train from Shinjuku, is an historical treasure chest, most notable for being the site of the famous Battle of Kumegawa, the battle that ended the Kamakura Shogunate and restored Imperial primacy.
Originally built in the mid-seventeenth century, the Buddhist Tokuzo-ji Temple plays a significant part in preserving the history of the Battle of Kumegawa. To say nothing of the temple's pleasant grounds and peaceful demeanour, Tokuzo-ji's most pressing claim to fame is its housing of the only Old Document in Tokyo to be classified as an Important Cultural Property.
The Genko no Itabi is no paper record. Supported by Nitta Yoshisada, the warrior whose army won the day for the pro-Imperial forces, the record is a 147cm-high, plate-shaped stone monument raised in remembrance to several warriors who perished in the shogunate-ending battle. Rare in its detail, the Genko no Itabi lists the day and location of the warriors' death as well as information about the alms raised to support its creation.
The Genko no Itabi was designated as an Important Cultural Property in 1914. Located in the Tokuzo-ji Temple Museum, the Genko no Itabi is on display with scores of other historical artefacts. While entry to the temple is free, at the time of writing, a small admission fee of JPY200 per adult applies to the museum.
Location: 1-26-3 Suwacho, Higashimurayama-shi, Tokyo 〒189-0021 (nearest station: Higashimurayama Station, Seibu Shinjuku Line)
