Sengakuji
Sengakuji Station
is a railway station located in
the Takanawa neighborhood of Minato
Ward of Tokyo, serving the Toei
Asakusa Subway Line and the Keihin
Electric Express Railway.
Sengakuji Station gets its name
from Sengakuji Temple which is located
just a few steps from the station.
Sengakuji Temple
Sengakuji Temple is a Soto Zen Buddhist
temple which houses one of the most
well known landmarks of the Edo
period - the graves of the 47
Ronin and their lord, Asano
Takumi-no-Kami Naganori.
The story of the Ronin and Asano
is one of the best loved historical
stories in Japan which many outside
the country know as well. It has
been made and performed in the form
of a kabuki play, movie, and television
dramas.
According to the story, in 1701,
lord Asano was insulted by lord
Kira at the Edo castle. Tensions
grew between the two and as a result
Asano committed seppuku (ritual
suicide). Asano’s 47 samurai
retainers, whose lives were ruined,
decided to take revenge and went
to Kira’s house. They attacked
Kira and insisted that he too commit
seppuku. When he refused, they chopped
off his head and took it to Sengakuji
Temple to their lord Asano’s
grave. They placed the head on Asano’s
grave and prayed, after which they
all committed seppuku themselves
so they could join their master
in death. The priest of the temple
buried them all next to their master.
The site has now become a place
of pilgrimage where people come
from all over the country to pay
respects to the loyal retainers.
The temple itself is not very impressive,
neither is it very big, but because
of the graves it is one of the most
famous and most popular temples
of Tokyo. To get to the temple,
one has to pass through three different
gates. Past the second gate is a
bronze statue of Oisji Kuranosuke,
the leader of the 47 ronin who lead
the attack on Kira. The main hall
of the temple comes after the third
gate, on the ceiling of which is
a bronze dragon. On the left of
the hall is another statue, of Sawaki
Kodo Roshi, a Zen master of the
20th century. Past the statue is
the temple bell which was constructed
in 1913. Nearby among a cluster
of trees is the blood stoned stone
where Asano had committed seppuku.
Next is a gate past which are the
graves of the 47 Ronin and lord
Asano. There is also a small museum
on the temple grounds commemorating
the 47 ronin. It exhibits mementoes
of the ronins as well as various
articles associated with the incident.
Gishi-sai
Gishi-sai is the festival held every
year on December 14 in honor of
the 47 loyal retainers. December
14 is the anniversary of the 47
ronins’ avenge. Gishi-sai
is celebrated with costume parades
and prayers at the temple. Forty-seven
men dressed as the ronin travel
in a procession from Nihombashi
Memmo Company (near Higashi-Nihombashi
Station), cross Ryoguku Bridge,
proceed to Matsuzskacho Park and
end at Sengakuji Temple. The entire
route becomes packed with crowds
of pilgrims and visitors who gather
to watch the parade and take part
in a special Buddhist service held
at the temple. They later burn incense
sticks (senko) in the graveyard
to pay their respects, and enjoy
typical foods like Okonomiyaki and
Takoyaki at the temporary constructed
food stalls on the temple grounds
and all along the route.
