Tsukiji Hongan-Ji Temple

Tsukiji Hongwanji is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha denomination, also known as Shin Buddhism, which was founded by the monk Shinran (1173-1263) and whose head temple is Hongwanji (Nishi Hongwanji) in Kyoto. The temple was first built near Asakusa, but was burnt down in a fire in 1657 and rebuilt at its current location in 1679. At that time, the area where the temple stands now was the sea. Temple followers and others implemented a land reclamation project and rebuilt the temple on the new land. In 1923, the temple was again destroyed by fire caused by the Great Kanto earthquake, and, in 1934, the current Hondo (main worship hall) was rebuilt according to a design by renowned architect Ito Chuta. In 2014, the temple’s main worship hall, gate posts (Main gate, North gate, and South gate), and stone walls were designated as National Important Cultural Properties. “Tsukiji” means “reclaimed land” and signifies the origins of the site on which the temple stands.Read more