Zōjō-ji’s main gate, rebuilt halls, and Tokugawa mausoleums mark a major Pure Land Buddhist center beside modern Tokyo Tower. Founded in 1393 and moved to this site in 1598, the temple’s changing fortunes mirror the shift from Edo shogunal power to the modern city.
Guide
A red gate, temple roofs, and Tokyo Tower share the same view, compressing several eras into one frame. Zōjō-ji began in 1393 as a Jōdo-shū Buddhist seminary in eastern Japan, then moved to its present Shiba site in 1598 after Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- Zōjō-ji was founded in 1393.
- It moved to its present location in 1598 and became the Tokugawa family temple.
- Six Tokugawa shoguns are buried in its mausoleum.
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