In a calm residential area in Setagaya borough, a 10-minute walk away from Gotokuji Station on the Odakyu Line, you will find the pretty traditional temple, Gotokuji. It was established in 1480 and named Kotokuin at first. It belongs to the Soto denomination, one of two Buddhist denominations, where priests practice Zen daily. In 1659, one of the powerful samurai families, the Ii family, appointed it as their family temple, and since then, they have protected and supported this infrastructure.
I visited there with my guests from the US on a lovely weekend, and several cherry trees in full bloom welcomed us so nicely in the temple.
The 22.5-meter three-story pagoda, constructed in 2006, is iconic. But Shofukuden is the most famous place among visitors, especially cat lovers. It is also called the House of Maneki Neko.
The vibes in the temple are so nice, but what brings my guests to the temple is seeing Maneki Neko, a white cat doll, because they love cats so much. The hundreds of Maneki Nekos are sitting on the shelves, and they seem to be inviting us to come. However, they actually invite happiness, wealth, and well-being to us. In Japanese, Maneki means inviting, and Neko means cat, so it means a “cat” that attracts wishes to us. They look so cute and gentle.
Here is a story about the Maneki Neko.
One day in the 17th century, a lord, Naotaka Ii, was on his way back from falconry when he was beckoned by a cat at the temple gate and decided to stop by.
Soon after he entered the temple, thunder suddenly rang out, and heavy rain began to fall. Having escaped a thundershower and had an enjoyable conversation with the temple master, he was impressed by the luck that the cat had brought. Then Naotaka backed up the temple financially, and Gotokuji temple was renewed in 1633.
There was a long queue to buy Maneki Neko. The Maneki Neko in the photo above is 800 yen. My guests bought two and would bring them to the US later.
The oldest building in the temple is the Buddhist Hall, established in 1677. The temple bell was made in 1679. These are pretty rare because they never got the air raid during WW2. Other buildings are relatively new because the Great Earthquake 1923 destroyed some of them. So it is a quite rare temple in Tokyo, which can survive heavy bombing during WW2 and the Great Earthquake which hit the Tokyo area in 1923.
If you are interested in visiting Gotokuji temple and saying hello to Maneki Neko, I will guide you there. Please contact me via the Contact link below.
<Location>
2 Chome-24-7 Gotokuji, Setagaya City, Tokyo 154-0021
https://maps.app.goo.gl/iRBEk8e2howQSbc36
The gate opens at 6:00 and closes at 17:00 daily.
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Comment
This blog gives me a glimpse of Japan’s amazing history.
Thank you for reading the post and leaving a nice comment, Gerlye. I am regularly updating my blog, maybe once or twice a week. Please come again!
I love cats too and this place sounds very interesting based on your blog!
Thank you for your comment. Gotokuji temple is pretty unique and its lovely display of cats has attracted many visitors, including international tourists, for years. It’s worth visiting the temple, taking photos of cute cats, and buy one to take it back your home.