Akiruno · JP

Gyokusen-ji (Akikawa Fudōson)

Gyokusen-ji, known to locals as Akikawa Fudōson (the Akikawa Fudō temple), is a small Tendai-sect temple in the Ninomiya quarter of Akiruno, on the forested western edge of Tokyo. Its vermillion gate, candlelit fire rituals and gentle, slightly unorthodox statues make it one of the liveliest little temples in the Tama area, and a favorite stop on local history walks. What draws visitors is a sense of a temple that has quietly stayed close to everyday people for three centuries: the main hall, gate and bell tower all date to around 1691, a great hackberry in the garden is a city natural monument, and the buildings once served as the village schoolroom. On the 28th of each month, the smell of burning gōma wood and the chatter of a small market fill the grounds.