A Buddhist temple that looks like nothing else in Japan: a 1934 stone hall by the architect Chuta Ito, who borrowed the arches and domes of ancient Indian architecture to express the religion’s roots. Inside is a gilded Jodo Shinshu altar and a pipe organ. The temple sits at the edge of the Outer Market and is a working place of worship with chanting at dawn and funerals through the day.
Combine it with a market breakfast, as it stands a minute from the stalls. The main hall is open to visitors and free, and the stepped facade photographs best in the morning sun. The temple’s café and shop have made it an unlikely social hub for the district.
Tips
- The café in the information centre serves an 18-dish breakfast from 8:00, a nod to the 18th of Amida Buddha's 48 vows
- A pipe organ in the main hall is played at free lunchtime concerts on the last Friday of the month
- Look for the stone animals on the staircases, from lions and elephants to peacocks and a wild boar