Visit Japan Web Sengakuji
Visit Japan Web invites you to explore Sengakuji, a petite temple located near Shinagawa Station in Tokyo.
In 1612, Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered the construction of Izumi-Gakkei Temple in Sakanada outside of Edo. In 1641, it was destroyed in the Great Kan’ei Fire, and Tokugawa Iemitsu instructed six daimyo families – the Mouri, Asano, Katakura, Tani, Mizutani, and Imagawa – to rebuild it in Takarazuka. Izumi-Gakkei Temple is famous for being the burial place of Asano Takumi no Kami and the 47 Ronin of Ako. It attracts numerous visitors each year.
It is renowned for its cemetery where the “47 Ronin” are laid to rest. The tale of the 47 loyal ronin gained widespread popularity as a kabuki performance during the Edo Period. It continues to be popular until today. Numerous individuals visit the temple to honor the Akoroshi by burning incense sticks in the cemetery.
On December 14th, the anniversary of the 47 ronin’s revenge, a festival is held annually at Sengakuji to commemorate the occasion, drawing thousands of visitors. The small cemetery becomes densely packed and smoky during the festival. Various festival delicacies, such as okonomiyaki and takoyaki, can be savored at temporary food stalls.
At Sengakuji, there exists a small memorial museum dedicated to the 47 ronin, known as the Akogishi Kinenkan. Within the museum’s single room, patrons can observe artifacts linked to the 47 samurai, including letters and armor, as well as watch videos elucidating the temple’s history and the narrative of the faithful retainers. Adjacent to the museum there is a small annex containing wooden sculptures of all the retainers who took part in the mission.
