Have a seat on a nearby bench and soak up the peaceful atmosphere. There is also a large seated bronze Buddha in the temple courtyard. The newest building on the site, the Hondo, is a stylish ferro-concrete structure opened in 1988, right at the end of the Showa Period. There are stone lanterns dating to the Taisho Period while the Furo-mon gate at the top of the stairs and the Taho-to stupa were both built in 1938. Churei-do is a Meiji Period worship hall, built in 1902 and dedicated to soldiers who died in the first Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). In addition to the Nio-mon and Kannon-do, there are two other 17th century structures and an 18th century worship hall called Daishi-do. The courtyard of Gokokuji temple, a contemplative atmosphere Photo: JENIFER ROGERS The newest and oldest buildings on this tour are to be found here. The complex is made up of a number of structures built at different times so that this site alone is a microcosm of temple architecture across the ages. The massive hall contains various art treasures and visitors are allowed to enter the hall to view them (no photos allowed). Kannon-do is said to be the oldest wooden temple structure in Tokyo, having been fortunate to escape the fire bombings of World War II. That honor belongs to Kannon-do, the main hall, which was built in 1681, under the patronage of the mother of the fifth Tokugawa shogun. The Nio-mon outer gate of Gokokuji temple, at street level, was built in 1697, but it is not even the oldest structure in this massive temple complex. Tuesday through SundayĪdmission: 600 yen (adults) 400 yen (university/high school students) 300 yen (primary/junior high students) If these walls could talk, what tales they could tell! Hatoyama leaders frequently used this home for political discussions and entertaining foreign dignitaries. Some rooms of the house are furnished, while others are given over to museum-style exhibits, particularly about Ichiro and his wife Kaoru, a dynamic educator and note-worthy figure in her own right. The beautiful stained glass windows are particularly noteworthy. Hatoyama Hall, with its rose garden in the foreground Photo: VICKI L BEYERĭesigned by well-known Japanese architect Shinichiro Okada, a long-time friend of Ichiro, the house, with its pretty rose garden, is predominately Western in design, with artistic Eastern flourishes throughout, including pigeon motifs ( hato in the name Hatoyama means pigeon). The hilltop Hatoyama Hall is a Western-style home built in 1924 for Ichiro Hatoyama, the second generation of the political dynasty. The first destination is the Taisho Period home of the Hatoyama family, Japanese political leaders for four generations (most recently, Yukio Hatoyama was prime minister from 2009 to 2010). The walk begins and ends at Exit 1a of Edogawabashi station on the Yurakucho subway line, going in a counter-clockwise circle. In this urban stroll of about 5 kilometers, through parts of Tokyo’s Bunkyo and Toshima wards, one can visit buildings representing the Edo Period (1603-1868), the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the Taisho Period (1912-1926) and the Showa Period (1926-1989) a glimpse of architecture through the ages. Yet, if one looks, buildings that exemplify different periods of Tokyo’s, and Japan’s, history can indeed be found. So much so that visitors often claim it is next to impossible to find historical buildings. The Tokyo metropolis is well known for the way that it constantly renews itself.
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