‹
東京都
Toku
[ No photos yet ]
Be the first to share one
Zenshoan Temple
東京都
Founded by Yamaoka Tesshu — Encho's 50 ghost paintings exhibited each August make this Yanaka temple a summer legend
Founded
1883
Type
Temple
Visited
Want to go
Access
5 min walk from Tokyo Metro Sendagi Station
5-4-7 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Open in Google Maps ↗
Info
Temple
Founded 1883
143 years
Enshrined Deity
釈迦牟尼仏
→
Founder
Yamaoka Tesshu
→
Buddhist Sect
Rinzai (Kokutaiji branch)
→
Overview
A Rinzai Zen temple founded in 1883 by Yamaoka Tesshu — a late-shogunate retainer, swordsman, calligrapher and statesman — to honor those who died in service of the Meiji Restoration. Yamaoka is interred here, as is Sanyutei Encho (1839–1900), the great reviver of rakugo storytelling. Encho's lifelong collection of 50 ghost paintings (yurei-ga), the celebrated "Encho Collection," is exhibited to t…
Read more
Origins
Zenshoan was founded in 1883 by Yamaoka Tesshu (1836–1888) — a late-shogunate retainer, swordsman, calligrapher, and statesman — as a Rinzai Zen temple of the Kokutaiji school, established to pray for the souls of those who gave their lives in service of the Meiji Restoration. Tesshu is celebrated f…
Read more
Divine Benefits
Warding Off Evil
Purification
Rebirth in Pure Land
Averting disaster, directional protection, warding off epidemics. Central at Fudo, Kannon, and Gion-related sites.
Derived from the enshrined deity "釈迦牟尼仏"

人
Related Figures
— 1

Y
Yamaoka Tesshū
Master of sword, Zen, and calligraphy; envoy of the bloodless surrender of Edo
Age 47 at founding
›
Yamaoka Tesshu founded Zenshoan in 1883 to mourn those who died in the upheavals of the Meiji Restoration. Before Saigo Takamori and Katsu Kaishu's famous meeting, Yamaoka alone negotiated with Saigo at Sunpu, paving the way for the bloodless surrender of Edo. His own grave lies in the grounds, and the temple embodies his lifelong pursuit of swordsmanship, Zen and calligraphy.
Posts
0
＋
No posts yet
Goshuin
No goshuin posts yet
Also Worth Visiting
経
Kyoo-ji Temple (Bullet Holes of the Battle of Ueno)
Bullet holes from the 1868 Battle of Ueno still scar the main gate — the temple that sheltered the defeated Shogitai
463m
→
徳
Tomb of Tokugawa Yoshinobu (Yanaka Cemetery)
The last shogun who enacted the Taisei Hokan and the bloodless surrender of Edo rests in a Shinto-style burial mound at Yanaka Cemetery
460m
→
Kanei-ji (Toeizan)
Tenkai's temple guarding Edo's demon gate — burial site of six Tokugawa shoguns on Ueno hill
753m
→
上
Ueno Toshogu
The 'Nikko of Kanto' — Iemitsu's gold-leaf karamon gate is a National Important Cultural Property that survived war intact
1.0km
→
旧
Former Kan'eiji Five-Story Pagoda
A vermilion National Important Cultural Property pagoda that survived the Battle of Ueno, now standing quietly inside Ueno Zoo
1.1km
→
両
Ryo-Daishi-do (Rinnoji Kaizan-do)
Rinnoji founder's hall jointly enshrining Tenkai and Ryogen — a hall that miraculously survived the Battle of Ueno
1.2km
→
渋
Tomb of Shibusawa Eiichi (Yanaka Cemetery)
The face of the 10,000-yen note — Japan's 'father of capitalism' who helped found 500 companies is buried here in Yanaka
567m
→
上
Ueno Daibutsu & Pagoda
Only the face remains after earthquakes and war — a Buddha that 'cannot fall further,' prayed to by exam-hopefuls
1.2km
→
記
Suggest an update
Suggest fixes to the location, history, visiting hours, access, facilities, notes and more
›
Report incorrect info ›
Get the app for a better experience
Auto stamp via GPS, offline access, and favorites tracking
View in app
＋
Explore pilgrimage with the app
View in app
✕