In March I spent a little more time wandering around Ikebukuro, getting to know the area.
Another nice day under a daytime moon.
Ikebukuro is interesting with it's mix of businesses and people. No pestering the women!
I was headed to a Buddhist temple. Which just happened to have a couple early blooming sakura trees.
Yes, this is my happy place. Gazing up into sakura trees.
As for the temple, it is Shōunji Temple and this is the main gate, 山門, which I think is Yamamon.
This temple has a bit of history. The original Shōunji Temple was established in 1532 as a Zen temple in Edo Castle.
Freshly painted clouds underneath the main gate.
And the back of the gate with two very large stone lanterns. The original temple took 30 years to build. When Tokugawa Ieyasu decided to have Edo castle repaired, he ordered the temple to be moved to Kanda.
Following this the temple was relocated twice, to Nippori and Hakusan.
It finally ended up in Ikebukuro in 1915 where it now mostly handles Buddhist funerals in the main hall.
I am not sure how much of the temple is still wood, since it has burned a number of times in the various Tokyo fires.
There is a garden at the site, along with a cemetery.
There is a small Inari Shinto shrine there.
A little worn but it is still in use.
There was a solemnity to the grounds, but the people there were friendly.
I did visit a few other temples and shrines in Ikebukuro so I will try to post more photos soon.
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