Jindaiji Temple & Botanical Gardens

Jindaiji temple is not only one of Tokyo’s oldest temples, but also one of the city’s most authentic. The complex consists of the large and majestic main temple together with a number of smaller temples, a big bell and more. It is the only botanical park in Tokyo and has over a hundred thousand trees and flowers that come in more than 4,800 varieties. Next to roses, azalea and clover fields, you will also find traditional Japanese garden plants such as Satsuki (Rhododendron indicum) and Tsubaki (Camellia japonica) which have been cherished by the Japanese since the Edo period. You will notice a specific house with a pair of gigantic zori (草履, Japanese sandals) on its roof, and manga characters standing in front of it. This is the Kitaro Chaya (Kitaro Tea House), which honours the spiritual father of nationwide popular ghost manga series “Gegege no Kitaro”, Shigeru Mizuki, as he resides in the neighbourhood. The series has been running since 1965, and is still going strong today as the now 93-year old Shigeru Mizuki still continues his work.