Togenuki Jizoson Koganji Temple — Attraction in Tokyo

A 10-minute walk from JR Sugamo Station. Visited Togenuki Jizoson Kogan-ji Temple. Saturday after 11:00 a.m., visiting the temple was smooth. There was a short queue for the washing Kannon (Goddess of Mercy). It is said to heal bad parts of the body. Good thing I put a towel in my Ziploc. Red seals are accepted at the main hall. I had it written in front of me. Surprisingly, there were few people and the temple was very calm. After visiting the temple, we strolled around the shopping street. It was interesting to see various stores such as a red pants store and a Japanese sweets shop. The character...

『とげぬき地蔵尊』として、平日休日問わず多くの参拝客で賑わう寺院。商店街の中心的な存在であるため、開門される早朝こそ参拝客は少ないが、商店街の各店舗が開く時間帯には既に多くの参拝客で賑わい、閉門されるまで参拝客が途絶えることは無い。 境内はそれ程広くなく、周遊するだけであれば30分程度で済む。境内で特に混雑し、連日のように列が出来るのが、『洗い観音』と呼ばれる『聖観世音菩薩石像』が安置されている場所である。像に水を掛けて洗ったところの傷病がよくなるとされ、怪我や持病を持つ人が、傷病の完治や寛解を求めて像を洗いに列をなす。とは言え、境内自体が広くないため自然と列もそれ程長くはならず、待っても20分程度と見ていいだろう。 とりわけ印象深い寺院ではないが、気軽に参拝でき、また都心の商店街の中でも古来からの信仰が根付く場所として、興味深い場所と思うに違いない。

The temple is known as "Togenuki Jizo-son" and is crowded with worshippers on weekdays and holidays. Since the temple is located in the center of the shopping arcade, there are only a few visitors early in the morning when the gates open, but by the time the stores in the shopping arcade open, the temple is already crowded with visitors, and they never stop coming until the gates close. The temple precincts are not very large, and it takes only about 30 minutes to walk around the temple. One of the most crowded areas of the temple grounds, with lines forming every day, is the place where the statue of the Bodhisattva is enshrined, called "Arai-Kannon. It is said that water splashed and washed on the statue will cure injuries and illnesses, and people with injuries and chronic illnesses line up to wash the statue, hoping for a complete cure or remission of their injuries and illnesses. However, since the temple grounds themselves are not large, the line is naturally not very long, and the wait can be expected to be as short as 20 minutes. Although not a particularly impressive temple, it is an interesting place to visit as a place where people can casually worship and where ancient beliefs have taken root in a shopping district in the heart...

Located within the Sugamo Jizo shopping street, the temple appears to be a popular spot for locals, as I saw many Japanese families bringing their children to pray when I arrived. The temple itself is moderately sized, and the strong scent of burning incense might catch you by surprise. Several vendors sell omikuji, luck charms, and taro, mostly run by elderly individuals who seem to be working out of passion rather than necessity. One elderly woman I saw wasn’t even trying to sell her products, simply relaxing with her...