Formally named Fudarakusan Hasedera, it functions as the Tokyo branch of Eiheiji, the head temple of Soto Zen. The principal image, an Eleven-faced Kannon Bodhisattva, is a large Kannon modeled on Hasedera in Nara and enshrined in the Kannon-do. Despite being in central Tokyo near Roppongi Hills, its spacious grounds overflow with seasonal flowers. The hydrangeas in front of the sanmon gate are pa…

The founding date of Hasedera in Azabu remains unclear, but the temple, formally named Fudarakusan Hasedera, is traditionally said to have had its origins as a Soto Zen establishment before the Edo period. Its close institutional ties with Eiheiji, the head temple of Soto Zen, are believed to have b…