photos ©Japanbyweb.com, 26 April 2025
Keigenji ( 慶元寺 ), located in Kitami district of Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, is a Buddhist Jodo sect temple with deep historical roots. It was founded in 1186 by Edo Taro Shigenaga (江戸太郎重長) as the family temple of the Edo clan, near Momijiyama at the present-day Imperial Palace. At that time it was a temple of the Tendai sect and was called Iwatoyama Ozawain Tofukuji.
Following the defeat of the Musashi-Hei Rebellion, the Edo clan fell into decline, surrendered Edo Castle to Ota Dokan, and moved their base to Kitami. As a result, the temple also moved to Kitami in 1468. In 1540, the temple was converted to the Jodo sect by the priest Shinrenja Kuyo Shonin. The temple’s name was also changed to Eigozan Karinin Keigenji. By 1593, the Edo clan had adopted the name Kitami and entered into service under the Tokugawa shogunate. In 1636 during the Edo period, the temple was granted a red seal letter by the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu.
Keigenji is approximately a 20-minute walk from Kitami Station on the Odakyu Odawara Line. Just a 5-minute walk from the temple is Kitami Hikawa Shrine, which is worth combining your visit with.
The Sanmon Gate and the Bell Tower were built during the Edo period in the 18th century (the Bell Tower was rebuilt after the WW2).
The statue of Edo Taro Shigenaga stands in front of the cemetery where the graves of the Edo and Kitami clans are located. Within the cemetery grounds, there is a three-story pagoda.
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