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Ikegami Honmonji

東京都

The sacred site where Nichiren died in 1282 — the oldest five-story pagoda in Tokyo (1608, National ICP) and the October Oeshiki lantern procession drawing 300,000 make this Nichiren's holiest sanctuary

Founded

1282

Type

Temple

Visited

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Access

10 min walk from Tokyu Ikegami Station

Ikegami 1-1-1, Ota-ku, Tokyo

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Info

Temple

Founded 1282

744 years

Overview

One of the most important Nichiren sect temples, located at the site where the founder Nichiren passed away in 1282. Climbing the 96 stone steps (Kokkyo-nanjisakazaka) reveals the oldest surviving five-story pagoda in the Kanto region (an Important Cultural Property). The annual Oeishiki ceremony in October features the Mando-Neri parade of lantern processions drawing about 300,000 people — Tokyo\…

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Origins

In 1282, the Buddhist monk Nichiren passed away at Ikegami in Musashi Province (present-day Ota, Tokyo) while traveling from Hitachi toward Kamakura. The local lord Ikegami Munenaka donated his residence as a temple, and Honmon-ji was established as the head training ground of the Nichiren sect. Thr…

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Pilgrimage Courses

100 Temples ② Kanto

Famous Nichiren Buddhist Temples

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Festivals & Events
— 6

8月

16

Ikegami Honmonji Lantern Floating

Lantern floating for Obon at Ikegami Honmonji. This traditional Buddhist ceremony sends ancestral spirits back to the other world, with lanterns drifting quietly on the water in a magical scene. A solemn summer observance befitting this major Nichiren Buddhist temple.

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Related Articles
— 5

Nichiren: Surviving Two Exiles, Founder of Nichiren Buddhism

Nichiren (1222-1282) preached an absolute devotion to the Lotus Sutra and harshly criticized the Kamakura shogunate's religious policies. After submitting his Rissho Ankoku-ron in 1260, he was exiled twice — to Izu in 1261 and to Sado in 1271, after the miraculous "Tatsunokuchi Persecution." His prediction of foreign invasion was confirmed by the 1274 Mongol Invasion.

Sado: 800 Years of Cultural Heritage Forged by Exile

Sado Island, off Niigata, hosted [Emperor Juntoku](/character/sanetomo) (1221), [Nichiren](/character/nichiren) (1271), and [Zeami](/character/zeami) (1434) among many cultural figures. During the Edo period, over 20,000 mizukae nin'soku laborers were sent to its gold mines as de facto exiles, creating a unique dual exile culture.

Station Names Derived from Temples and Shrines: Traces of Faith Carved into Japan's Maps

Station names such as Sengakuji, Naritasan, and Shitennoji-mae Yuhigaoka are not mere geographical labels. They testify to the intertwined history of monzen-machi (temple town) development since the Edo period and the railways built to carry pilgrims to sacred sites from the Meiji era onward.

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人
Related Figures
— 1

Founder of Nichiren Buddhism

Age 60 at founding

The sacred site where Nichiren died at age 61 in 1282. Having left Minobu in poor health bound for Hitachi, he ended his life here at the residence of Ikegami Munenaka. It is one of the most important temples of the Nichiren sect.

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Visiting Information

Hours

Grounds generally open 24 hours. Reihoden treasure hall 10:00-16:00, open Sundays (closed Mondays).

Admission

Free to enter grounds. Reihoden admission 300 yen adults (free elementary and under).

As of 2026-07-17. Subject to change.

Also Worth Visiting

An Engishiki-listed shrine said to have been founded in 709 when the monk Gyoki carved three divine images — recorded in the Heian-period Jinmyocho as an official shrine, the general guardian of Kamata for 1,300 years

Shoeiin (Ikegami Plum Garden)

A Nichiren sub-temple of Ikegami Honmonji with 600 years of history — the adjacent Ikegami Plum Garden's 370 plum trees bloom each winter, and the October Oeshiki lantern procession passes through

Kamata Hachiman Jinja

The guardian shrine of the old Kamata-Shinshuku village estimated to have been established around 1600, enshrining Emperor Ojin and quietly standing as a historic anchor amid modern Kamata

Myotenji Temple (Kamata)

A Nichiren branch temple of Ikegami Honmonji drawing Kamata townspeople since the Edo period, associated with Nichiren's journey toward Mt. Minobu and visited by Oeshiki pilgrims each October along the Umeyashiki backstreets

Entonji Temple (Kamata)

A mid-Edo Nichiren temple beside the Nomigawa River, branch of Ikegami Honmonji — its stone Six Jizo and ancient graves evoke Edo commoners' faith, and the October Oeshiki lantern procession illuminates Kamata's old-town alleys

Tokumochi Shrine

A guardian shrine founded in the Eiroku era along the approach to Ikegami Honmonji — during October's Oeshiki lantern procession the route passes through the grounds, and its diverse shuincho designs have earned a social-media following

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