temple (Buddhist)Kichijoji, Suginami

Myohoji Temple (Higashi Koenji, Tokyo)（Myouhouji-Temple)

warding off evilwalkdisease curemarriageimportant cultural property

Originally a nunnery of the Shingon sect, the temple was converted to the Nichiren sect by Priest Nichien. The temple has been worshipped since the Edo period as “Yakuyakuwari Soshi” (the ancestor to ward off evil), and is still popularly called “Ososu-sama” today, with many valuable buildings such as the Niomon Gate, which welcomes visitors with a statue of Kongorikishi, donated by the 4th shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna, the gorgeous Soshidoho, which houses a statue of the founder, and the Iron Gate (National Important Cultural Property) designed by Josiah Condor, an architect who established the foundation of modern architecture in Japan. The temple is also home to a number of valuable buildings. Within the spacious precincts of the temple, there is also the Nijusanyado Hall, which is said to bring good luck and fortune, the Nichodo Hall, which is believed to be a guardian of academics and healing of eye diseases, and the Jogyodo Hall, where the statue of Jogyodo is washed to pray for healing from illness.

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