The water basin in the precincts clearly reflected the image of the main hall of Zuisho-ji

Main hall of Zuisho-ji Temple reflected in the water — Main hall of Zuisho-ji Temple

In the precincts of Shirokanedai, surrounded by luxurious apartments, stands a structure built in 1757. It is the main hall of Zuisho-ji, a Buddhist temple.

The precincts of Zuisho-ji temple are small. In the "Edo Meisho Zue" (Edo Sights Illustrated), a local history book written in the late Edo period, the temple was depicted as a huge temple with a gate, Tenno-den, main hall, and Zendo. Yet it is now surrounded by apartment buildings, and even the main hall, which stands starkly in the precincts, seems to overflow.

I came to Zuisho-ji Temple, which was founded in 1670, because I read that there is a very modern building next to the old main hall. The modern building is a storehouse designed by Kengo Kuma and built in 2018. One of the buildings next to the other is 264 years old and the other is 3 years old. The difference between the two buildings is about 260 years, which is about 15 generations apart. If I were to apply this to myself, I would say that I have ancestors who lived 15 generations ago, but I don't even know their names.

There is such a difference in the number of years since the temple was built, but when I stand in the precinct and look at it, I do not feel any sense of discomfort. It's strange how harmonious they are. The courtyard in front of the newcomer's storeroom was a basin of water with a beautiful reflection of the main hall on the surface.

Comment via

日本語