Zenpuku-ji (善福寺), also known as Azabu-san (麻布山), is a Buddhist temple located in the Moto-Azabu area of Minato, Tokyo. It was founded in 824 during the Heian period (794–1185) and is considered one of the oldest temples in Tokyo. The temple belongs to the Jodo Shinshu (浄土真宗) school of Buddhism.
Azabu-san became the first site of the U.S. diplomatic mission to Japan (first as a legation, later as an embassy) after the country opened to the West with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The treaty was negotiated with the Tokugawa shogunate in 1858 by U.S. Consul -then Minister- Townsend Harris (1804–1878). Prior to the establishment of the permanent diplomatic mission in 1859, a temporary consulate operated in Shimoda, Shizuoka.
The legation was initially housed in the temple’s drawing room and reception hall. After these buildings were set on fire by samurai opposed to the growing Western influence, the mission moved into rooms within the main temple building. In 1875, the legation were relocated to Tsukiji area, and later, in 1890, to the current embassy site in Akasaka.
In 1936 the America–Japan Society erected on the grounds of the temple, a monument in honor of Townsend Harris and marked the beginning of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Japan.
In the temple grounds stands the oldest ginkgo tree in Tokyo, over 750 years old, as well as a statue of the monk Shinran (親鸞, 1173–1263), founder of Jodo Shinshu. The temple’s cemetery also contains the grave of Fukuzawa Yukichi.
photos © Japanbyweb.com 10/2025