Tokyo, Japan

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Chou Sen Ji in Shibuya II

The grounds were simple, but exquisitely appointed. Not a piece of trash could be seen anywhere. A few wild cats ran about the temple grounds, but they appeared well fed. The priest, caretaker, or visitors must be feeding them. Approaching one or two, they darted off to the rear, where a large graveyard extends to the JR tracks.

The temple's name is 長泉寺: Chou Sen Ji. It roughly translates as long (water) spring temple.

The entrance is guarded by a single large tree. A sign is carefully placed by Shibuya City (a section of Tokyo) that registers it and restricts cutting and pruning. When I was young, we had a similar tree in our backyard in London. Recently exploring the depths of my new neighborhood, Shimo Kitazawa, inside remaining estates, I have seen trees adorned with similar signs, untouched by the ravages of the last war.

Chou Sen Ji in Shibuya I

This weekend I went for a walk in Yoyogi Park, one of Tokyo's largest public parks. Along the way, I stumbled across this gem on Meiji Dori (明治通り). The street is packed with Tokyo's hippest shops. Mostly "select" shops where merchandise from a variety of domestic and overseas designers is gathered according to specific theme: skateboarding, hip-hop, punk, etc.

A pale yellow wall proceeded the entrance, buffeted only by the main road. Two elephants carved from granite greeted visitors from atop posts. I was the only person inside the temple. (This is common in the lesser-known ones.) Usually temples are guarded by two lions: one has its mouth open and the other closed. A long driveway paved with pebbles led from the main street to the temple's main building.

This picture is oddly cropped due to the ten story Brutalist apartment block seated to the right.

On either side of the driveway, parking spots have been sold or rented to luxury car owners. This is an oddity of Tokyo temples with land to spare. If they want to generate revenue without selling land, they pave, then rent. Still, this temple had the class to pave with a lighter colored, chunkier gravel. The offset was delicate.