No, today we're not talking about elephants, because except for those in the zoo, you won't find any in Tokyo or the rest of Japan. Instead, we're checking on a temple that I discovered on my last visit to the Japanese capital.
We were in the Koto district, very close to Monzen-Nakacho station, and had just visited Tomioka Shrine. Our next destination was Fukagawa Fudō-dō Temple, famous for its fiery sermons, and on the way there we passed this elephant statue.
In fact, there was once an elephant in Tokyo, more precisely during the Edo period. It was a gift from a Vietnamese royal family in the 18th century and arrived in the country via Nagasaki. On its way, it is said to have passed through Koto, which is commemorated by this small but beautiful statue. I imagine it must have been quite a sight to see this majestic animal being led through the narrow streets of Edo.
But the story of the elephant serves only as an introduction, because my attention was drawn to the other side of the street, where you can see a small temple.
On a street corner stands Eitai-ji Temple (大栄山 金剛神院 永代寺), which was originally founded in 1624 on what was then Eitai Island and is closely associated with the neighboring Shinto shrine Tomioka Hachimangū. During the Edo period, Eitai-ji was one of the six major Jizō sites in the city and thus one of the centers of religious activity.
In the wake of the Meiji Restoration, state-mandated separation of Shinto and Buddhism (Shinbutsu bunri) led to the temple's dissolution. The current complex dates back to its reestablishment in 1896, when the former sub-temple building “Kisshō-in” took on the name Eitai-ji and continued the tradition of the original temple. The temple's full name is “Daieisan Kongōshin'in Eitaiji” and today it is the 68th stop on the “Gofunai Hachijūhakkasho” pilgrimage route in Tokyo. The main object of worship is the god Kangiten (歓喜天), one of the many gods of happiness and wisdom.
The temple complex is quite compact and actually consists only of the small main building. But perhaps it is precisely this tidiness that makes up its charm and made me stop here.
Here in the temple too, I found a reference to the Vietnamese elephant from the Edo period. This koro, an incense burner, is shaped like an elephant and is a subtle reference to a very special episode that once took place here.
There are even two small elephant heads on the koro, one on the left and one on the right. Many visitors put small incense sticks in there before preaching, as the smoke is considered purifying and protective. People often symbolically fan the smoke over their heads or over painful parts of their bodies, as it is said to bring good luck and cure illness.
I only had very little time to look around here, as my small team had already moved on. Nevertheless, my detour to Eitai-ji Temple was a charming little stop, from which I brought back a few pictures. And thanks to these, I am able to share this brief blog post today, which as always helps me to keep my memories of all my many experiences fresh. And every time, it also brings a little smile to my face...
