Tozen-ji
Encyclopedia
Tōzen-ji is a temple in Takanawa
, Minato, Tokyo
, Japan
. It belongs to the Rinzai
sect of Zen Buddhism which has its headquarters at Myoshin-ji
in Kyoto.
In 1610, Ryonan-zenji founded it at Akasaka
and in 1636 it was relocated to its present location. The temple was located directly on the Tokaido Road to the sea, and for that reason it was named Kaijō Zenrin (literally, "the Zen forest above the sea"). The words were embazoned prominently on the Sanmon
, or main gate, which disappeared long ago. In the Edo period, Tōzen-ji was considered the family temple of various clans, including the Date clan of Sendai, the Ikeda clan
of Omi province
, the Inaba clan
of Usuki Domain in Bungo province
, the Suwo of Shinshu, the Tamura
of Ichinoseki, and the Mori clan
of Saeki
in Bungo
.
In 1859, the first British
legation in Japan was built in the precincts of the temple. Even now, the sword cuts and bullet marks in the attack of the samurai
of the Mito
han
remain in the pillar of the Okushoin (the drawing room in the back) and the genkan
. Rutherford Alcock
, the first British Minister to Japan, recorded his impressions of Tōzen-ji in his book, The Capital of Tycoon (1863).
Takanawa
Takanawa is a neighborhood in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.-Education:*The Takanawa Library is in Takanawa. is a junior high school. Takamatsunomiya contributed some of its own mansions for Minato and a junior high school was built there.-Notable sites:...
, Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It belongs to the Rinzai
Rinzai school
The Rinzai school is , one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.Rinzai is the Japanese line of the Chinese Linji school, which was founded during the Tang Dynasty by Linji Yixuan...
sect of Zen Buddhism which has its headquarters at Myoshin-ji
Myoshin-ji
is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan. The Myōshin-ji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism is the largest school in Rinzai Zen. This particular school contains within it more than three thousand temples throughout Japan, along with nineteen monasteries. The head temple was founded in the year 1342 by the...
in Kyoto.
In 1610, Ryonan-zenji founded it at Akasaka
Akasaka, Tokyo
is a residential and commercial district of Minato, Tokyo, located west of the government center in Nagatachō and north of the Roppongi nightlife district....
and in 1636 it was relocated to its present location. The temple was located directly on the Tokaido Road to the sea, and for that reason it was named Kaijō Zenrin (literally, "the Zen forest above the sea"). The words were embazoned prominently on the Sanmon
Sanmon
A , also called is the most important gate of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen shichidō garan, the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple. It can be however often found in temples of other denominations too...
, or main gate, which disappeared long ago. In the Edo period, Tōzen-ji was considered the family temple of various clans, including the Date clan of Sendai, the Ikeda clan
Ikeda clan
The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji. In the Edo period, several of the clan's branches were daimyo families, most notably of the Tottori Domain, and Okayama Domain. Takamasa Ikeda, present head of the Okayama Ikeda house is a husband of Atsuko Ikeda, fourth daughter...
of Omi province
Omi Province
is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...
, the Inaba clan
Inaba clan
The were a samurai kin group which rose to prominence during the Sengoku and Edo periods. In the Edo period, the Inaba were identified as one of the fudai or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan, in contrast with the tozama .-Clan branches:The fudai...
of Usuki Domain in Bungo province
Bungo Province
was a province of Japan in eastern Kyūshū in the area of Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Buzen Province. Bungo bordered Buzen, Hyūga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen Provinces.-History:...
, the Suwo of Shinshu, the Tamura
Tamura
Tamura , a Japanese placename and family name, may refer to:In places:*Tamura, Fukushima, a city in Japan*Tamura District, Fukushima, in Japan*Tamura Station, in Nagahama, JapanPeople with the surname Tamura:...
of Ichinoseki, and the Mori clan
Mori clan
The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
of Saeki
Saeki
The Saeki were a people of ancient Japan, believed to have lived on Honshū in the area between the modern regions of Kantō and Hokuriku.They are believed to have spoken a Tungusic language....
in Bungo
Bungo Province
was a province of Japan in eastern Kyūshū in the area of Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Buzen Province. Bungo bordered Buzen, Hyūga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen Provinces.-History:...
.
In 1859, the first British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
legation in Japan was built in the precincts of the temple. Even now, the sword cuts and bullet marks in the attack of the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
of the Mito
Mito, Ibaraki
is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and has a central location, moderately offset towards the coast in that prefecture. As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 263,748 and a total area is 217.45 km², giving a population density of 1,212.91 persons per km²...
han
Han (Japan)
The or domain was the name of the estate belonging to a warrior in Japan after the 17th century. The fiefs of the daimyos of the samurai class of Japan during the Edo period were called han.-Edo period:...
remain in the pillar of the Okushoin (the drawing room in the back) and the genkan
Genkan
are traditional Japanese entryway areas for a house, apartment, or building—something of a combination of a porch and a doormat. The primary function of genkan is for the removal of shoes before entering the main part of the house or building. Genkan are often recessed into the floor, to contain...
. Rutherford Alcock
Rutherford Alcock
Sir Rutherford Alcock KCB was the first British diplomatic representative to live in Japan.-Early life:Alcock was the son of the physician, Dr. Thomas Alcock, who practised at Ealing, near London. As he grew up, Alcock followed his father into the medical profession...
, the first British Minister to Japan, recorded his impressions of Tōzen-ji in his book, The Capital of Tycoon (1863).