Onarimon
Onarimon
Station lies on the Toei
Mita Line in the Minato Ward of
Tokyo.
Onarimon Station is an easy access
point for some of the main attractions
of Tokyo – Tokyo Tower,
Shiba Park, and
Zojoji Temple.
Shiba Park and Zojoji Temple are
only a 3-minute walk from the station,
while Tokyo Tower is a 6 minute
walk away. Tokyo’s main university
for pharmacy lies close to the station.
Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy
Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy’s
main Shiba Campus is located just
2 minutes walk from Onarimon Station.
Established in 1930 as Kyoritsu
Women's Professional School of Pharmacy,
it was upgraded to Kyoritsu College
of Pharmacy in 1949. Master’s
and Doctoral courses were added
in 1986 and 1988 respectively. In
1996 the university was made co-educational.
Various courses in pharmaceutical
sciences were added with time, the
final being in 2006 when a new 6-year
pharmacy program with an emphasis
on clinical practice was added.
Although Kyoritsu University of
Pharmacy is situated in the midst
of bustling Tokyo close to Tokyo
Tower, Zojoji Temple and other cultural
institutions, the campus is surrounded
by verdant landscaping in a quiet
setting ideal for studying.
Seishoji
Temple
Seishoji
Temple is a temple of the Soto sect
of Zen Buddhism, one of Japan's
main Zen sects known for its strict
adherence to Buddhist principles.
Founded in the fifteenth century
by priests, it was moved to its
present location in the year 1600.
The temple was both a praying center
and a training school for new priests
till the nineteenth century when
the training was shifted to Komazawa
University, today the main center
of learning for members of the sect.
Unfortunately during the Great Kanto
Earthquake of 1922, the temple buildings
were completely destroyed. The main
sanctuary was soon rebuilt, but
the other buildings of the temple
were not built until the 1990s.
Seishoji
Temple is today one of the largest
temples in Japan. Besides the main
sanctuary, the complex includes
a large meditation hall, two 42-storey
buildings and a park. In the middle
of the park is a dragon shaped fountain.
The temple has numerous statues
built by the well known sculptor,
Yabuuchi Satoshi, placed all over
the temple grounds. Twenty-four
of these are on the gateway (to
the temple) itself - 4 are 3-meter
high wooden statues of the Four
Devas on the ground level, 16 of
the 16 Arahats (Buddha's disciples)
on the second floor of the gateway,
and 4 of dragons placed in
each corner under the eaves of the
roof.
Every
New Year's Eve at exactly midnight,
the temple bells (huge bells called
“bonshos”)
are rung 108 times. Each of these
108 represents one of the 108 worldly
sins, and the ringing signifies
getting rid of these with each ring.
Seishoji
Temple is located a short walk from
Onarimon Station.
