Wandering through a cemetery on a chilly Saturday afternoon might not be at the top of most people’s lists of things to do when visiting Japan but that’s just what I did this past Saturday.  The cherry blossoms were just beginning to bloom along the windy paths through Yanaka Cemetery as I headed for Tennoji Temple where an impressive copper sitting Buddha statue looks down on the temple grounds and worshipers from a height of five meters.

After exiting Nippori Station (west exit), a stone stairway leads you up the the cemetery and from there it is a short walk to Tenno-ji Temple and the “Ten-noji Daibatsu” or “Great Buddha of Tennoji” as he is known to local residents.  This imposing statue with lovely patination was created in 1690, has been moved twice in it’s long history, and is a tangible cultural asset of Taito City.

Use this Map of Yanaka (PDF) to locate Tenno-ji Temple and take some time to stroll through this peaceful part of Tokyo.  The Nippori/Yanaka area has the highest concentration of temples and shrines in Tokyo and it’s an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon.

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates.

Join JapanSoc Today!
The #1 social bookmarking site for Japan-related blogs, news and people.