Places in Japan: Sengakuji Temple

BASIC INFORMATION

• Name: Sengakuji Temple
• Where: Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
• Hours: 06:00AM – 06:00PM
• Cost: Free
• More Information: Official website

Directions

The temple is the easiest to access from the Sengakuji Station on the Toei Asakusa Subway Line. If on the JR Yamanote Line you can access the temple by getting off at Takanawa Gateway Station and walking ten minutes to Sengakuji Temple.

Parking

I found that driving to the temple was pretty easy to access since Shinagawa has an ETC highway that runs through it.  Once off of the ETC there was plenty of pay parking options that were a short walk from the temple.

Narrative

The story of the 47 ronin is one of the most popular historical tales in Japan.  It is a story that resonates with many Japanese then and now due to its overarching narrative of loyalty and giving ones life for a greater cause.  The story known as the Chushingura Incident in Japan has been told in many books and movies over the years.  However, the best place to experience the story of the 47 ronin is at Sengakuji Temple.

The temple was built in 1612 under the orders of the famed Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.  At its largest the temple once hosted up to 200 monks.  Today this temple has only a handful of monks and has been completely swallowed by the apartments and other buildings of modern day Tokyo.  However once inside of the temple grounds it is actually quite peaceful unlike the busy neighborhood outside of the Sengakuji:

Sengakuji would probably just be another random temple in Japan if it wasn’t for its ties to the story of the 47 ronin.  The Chushingura Incident occurred between 1701-1703 during Japan’s Edo period.  Asano Takuminokami, the feudal lord of the Ako area, was given the responsibility by the Shogun to entertain an imperial envoy from Kyoto that was visiting Edo (modern day Tokyo).  The younger Lord Asano was tasked to be given guidance from the older Kira Kozukenosuke who worked as a protocol officer for the Shogun at Edo Castle.

According to legend Kira was corrupt and demanded bribes for his advisory role which Asano refused to pay.  To get back at Asano, Kira insulted him multiple times which caused him to lose face in front of his samurai and peers.  After another insult Asano lost his temper and drew his sword on Kira inside of Edo Castle and cut his forehead and shoulder.  The slash however did not kill Kira.  In Japan this is called the “Pine Corridor Incident”.

At the time drawing your sword within Edo Castle was forbidden and Asano was arrested.  Asano was sentenced that very same day to commit seppuku which is a form of ritual suicide where a person cuts out their own intestines before having their head cut off.  Even worse was that Asano’s entire estate was confiscated and his family lost their titles as lords leaving them and his samurai impoverished.  Asano’s samurai appealed the judgment to not include the losing of the Asano’s family lordship, but their requests were disapproved by the Shogun.  Asano’s samurai now had no lord which in Japan a masterless samurai is called a ronin.

The former chief samurai Oishi Kuranosuke, also known as Oishi Yoshitaka, recruited some of the samurai to execute a plot to strike revenge against Kira.  Knowing that Kira would be on guard for an attack, Oishi directed his plotters to disperse and find normal work, while Oishi disguised himself as the town drunk.  After almost two years from the time of the original incident the 47 ronin met on the agreed upon date to strike their revenge.  By this time Kira had let his guard down because his spies had reported to him how Asano’s ronin had dispersed and Oishi had become a drunkard.

On December 14, 1702 the 47 ronin attacked Kira’s residence killing his guards and beheading Kira.  They then marched through the streets of Edo carrying Kira’s head to announce their successful revenge and restoration of their honor.  They ended their march at Sengakuji temple where they presented Kira’s head to Lord Asano’s grave.  The 47 ronin then turned themselves into the authorities for their crime.  The Shogun was impressed by the loyalty of Oishi and his men and instead of executing them as common criminals, he sentenced them to committing seppuku which would maintain their honor as samurai.  On February 4, 1703 all 47 samurai committed seppuku thus ending the Chushingura Incident.  Today this small temple complex not only houses the grave of Lord Asano, but also the graves of the 47 ronin as well.

In the center of the temple complex is the main Buddhist temple hall known as the “hondo”:

Near the main temple hall there is a large plum tree that was given to the nun who took care of the graves of the 47 ronin by the wife of Lord Asano:

From the main temple hall there is a pathway that leads to the cemetery where the graves of the Asano family and the 47 ronin are located:

Along this path is the Kubi-Arai “Head Washing Well”.  This is where the 47 ronin washed Kira’s head before displaying it on the altar in front of Lord Asano’s grave:

At the the end of the path there is an entry booth where a small fee of 300 yen is paid to enter the cemetery.  As part of the entry fee I was given a bowl of incense sticks to put on the various graves.  This is something very unique about Sengakuji temple that I have never seen replicated at any other temple I have been to in Japan:

I found the cemetery like the rest of the temple to be very small and compact compared to other cemeteries near Buddhist temples:

The first grave I walked over to was for Lord Asano where I put one of the incense sticks into the stone lantern in front of the grave:

Directly in front of Lord Asano’s grave I could see the alter where Kira’s head was placed now crowned with flowers instead:

In this part of the cemetery there were graves for other members of Lord Asano’s family:

I also went and checked out the grave for the leader of the 47 ronin, Oishi Kuranosuke who’s grave was differentiated from the other samurai by having a wood structure over it:

Near Oishi’s grave were similar stone markers for the other 47 ronin, but they did not have any cover over them:

I went around placing incense at each of the graves:

The marker on the graves for the 47 ronin is supposed to describe them as having committed seppuku:

There were a few other graves in the cemetery that I was not sure who they were for that were much more elaborate than the ones for the 47 ronin:

On the perimeter of the cemetery there is a large rock and a plum tree.  Legend has it that when Lord Asano committed seppuku at the residence of Tamura Ukyontayo, his blood gushed out staining the stone and the plum tree.  The rock and plum tree were relocated to Sengakuji after Asano’s death:

Here is another view of the rock and plum tree with a private home located right behind it:

After checking out the cemetery I then walked over to the nearby museum.  It cost 500 yen to enter and pictures are not allowed.  The museum was small, but I found it fascinating due to its various artifacts that explain the history of the Chushingura Incident.  I definitely recommend checking out the museum.

Conclusion

A visit to Sengakuji temple is a fascinating experience for anyone that loves Japanese history.  I definitely have a much better appreciation of the classic story of the 47 ronin after visiting the temple.  For people just looking to take pictures of a beautiful Japanese temple this is not the place to go.  This temple is not very scenic compared to other temples in the Tokyo area, however it arguably has the most interesting history of any temple in the Tokyo area.