Boys were sitting at the entrance to the Daitoku-ji temple, engrossed in a game

The entrance of Daitoku-ji Temple — Boys sitting at the entrance of Daitoku-ji Temple

One gets the impression that Ameyoko in Okachimachi is a shopping district with a high concentration of stores selling seafood and dry goods as well as clothing and jewelry. According to the official website, Ameyoko, located between JR Ueno Station and JR Okachimachi, is one of the most famous shopping streets in Japan with over 400 stores.

Although you may not notice it just walking down the street crowded with shoppers, there is also a Buddhist temple casually located in Ameyoko. Daitoku-ji Temple, a temple of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism, stands in the precincts above the rows of stores.

The entrance to the temple grounds is not located on the main street of Ameyoko, so it is not surprising that many people do not know that there is a temple in the middle of the bustling shopping street. The deity enshrined at Daitoku-ji Temple is Marishiten. Marishiten is the deified form of the Sanskrit word "Marici," which means shimmer, sunlight, or moonlight. It is said to be incapable of being captured because it has no substance, and was believed to be incapable of burning, wetting, or hurting, and was deeply believed in by samurai warriors.

It is no wonder that shoppers in a buoyant mood are unaware of the existence of a temple dedicated to Marici.

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