Ikegami Honmon-ji

Infobox Buddhist temple
name = Ikegami Honmon-ji
池上本門寺


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denomination = Nichiren Buddhism
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address = 1-1-1, Ikegami, Ōta-ku
Tokyo 146-8576
country = Japan
phone = [phone]
website = http://honmonji.jp/

nihongo|Ikegami Honmon-ji|池上本門寺| is a Buddhist temple in the south of Tokyo, erected where Nichiren is said to have died.

A short walk from Ikegami Station (Tōkyū Ikegami Line) or Nishi-Magome Station (Toei Asakusa Line), Ikegami Honmon-ji contains a number of buildings, most of which have been reconstructed since the bombing of 15 March 1945. They include the Important Cultural Property designated five-storey pagoda built in 1608, the "kyōzō" (nihongo2|経蔵, repository of religious writings) built in 1784, and the "hōtō" (nihongo2|宝塔), built in 1781 where Nichiren was cremated. Other buildings have been rebuilt, or newly constructed, since 1945.

Now in Ōta-ku, suburban Tokyo, Ikegami Honmon-ji was at some distance from the city until the mid-20th century. Basil Hall Chamberlain and W. B. Mason wrote of it in 1907: "Its fine situation and magnificent timber make it one of the most attractive points within easy reach of Tōkyō." [Basil Hall Chamberlain and W. B. Mason, "A Handbook for Travellers in Japan," 8th ed. (London: John Murray, 1907), 138.]

The area between the station and the temple hosts a large festival, O-Eshiki (nihongo2|お会式), from 11 to 13 October, with "mando" (nihongo2|万灯, an elaborate representation of a lantern stand) and "matoi"; thousands of worshippers and merrymakers visit the temple, or eat and drink, or both.

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External links

* [http://www.honmonji.or.jp/english/english.html Ikegami Honmon-ji history and description]