The main hall of Komyo-ji stood at the end of a narrow, tree-shrouded approach

Komyo-ji Temple in Unoki, Ota Ward, Tokyo — Main hall of Komyo-ji Temple

As I was riding the Tokyu Tamagawa line, I saw a large grove of trees in the residential area outside the train window. If it was the garden of a rich man's house, it was a very rich man's house. This must be a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple. Thinking so, I got off the train at Shimomaruko and started walking toward the area where I saw the grove.

The grove, located between Kanpachi Street and the Tamagawa Line, was, as I thought, a temple called Komyo-ji. According to the legend, it is an ancient temple with over 1000 years of history. After passing through the modest gate, located just off the noisy Kanpachi Street, I found myself in the quiet precincts of the temple. The approach to the temple, lined with dense trees, stretched to the main hall. Even though it was an ancient temple, there were no worshippers, and the atmosphere in the temple grounds was peaceful.

The approach was not particularly narrow, but it was overgrown with trees on both sides, giving it the feel of a temple built in the mountains. I caught a glimpse of the main hall through the overhanging trees, which reminded me of the rock cave structure called El Kazneh in Petra, Jordan.

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