Myōrenji Temple – 妙蓮寺
Myōrenji Temple belongs to the Kempon Hokke-shū (顕本法華宗), a branch of Nichiren Buddhism. Although modest in scale, the temple has long served the surrounding neighbourhood and contains several historically notable graves.
Within the grounds is the grave of a locally born politician who served for decades despite losing his sight later in life. As a result, Myōrenji brings together religious, political, and social history in a way that exceeds its physical size.
Foundation of the temple
Myōrenji was founded in 1487, traditionally identified as the first year of the Chōkyō era (長享元年). The founder was Nisshun Shōnin (日遵上人), the eleventh chief priest of Myōmanji Temple (妙満寺), the head temple of the Honmon Hokke tradition in Kyoto.
From an early stage, Myōrenji became known for producing monks who later assumed senior positions within Nichiren Buddhist institutions. Consequently, the temple acquired standing within the wider religious network of the region.
The present main hall was rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1960. However, the earlier main hall, dating from the Kansei period (1789–1801), has been preserved within the grounds.
Tomb of Takagi Masatoshi
Takagi Masatoshi was born in 1857 (Ansei 3) in Minami-Shinagawa, then part of Ebara District in Musashi Province. His family operated a pawnshop in the area.
In 1883, he was elected to the Tokyo Prefectural Assembly. He later won a seat in the first general election of 1890, entering the Imperial Diet at the age of thirty-four.
Although he lost the third general election in 1892 due to political interference under the first Matsukata Cabinet, this remained his only electoral defeat before losing his sight. In total, he was elected thirteen times and served as a member of parliament for thirty-nine years.
At the age of forty, Takagi lost his sight due to glaucoma. Even so, he continued to campaign actively across a wide constituency that included Ebara District, Toyotama, and the Izu Islands. In 1903, he attended the first National Convention of Blind People.
Takagi Masatoshi died in December 1934 at the age of seventy-eight. He is listed among one hundred notable blind individuals of the Shōwa era in the book A Single Path: Blind People Who Lived Through Shōwa.
Other notable burials
Marubashi Chūya (丸橋忠弥)
Marubashi Chūya was a rōnin active in the early Edo period. He is best known as one of the conspirators in the Keian Uprising of 1651, an attempted revolt against the Tokugawa shogunate.
After opening a dojo in Edo to teach Hōzōin-ryū spear techniques, he later aligned himself with Yui Shōsetsu and became deeply involved in plans to seize Edo Castle.
The conspiracy was uncovered before it could be carried out. According to later accounts, authorities used exploding bamboo outside his residence to draw him out unarmed and prevent armed resistance during his arrest.
Marubashi Chūya was executed by crucifixion at the Suzugamori execution grounds together with his mother and brother. According to tradition, his head was later discovered beside the chief priest of Myōrenji and buried within the temple cemetery.
A further grave associated with Chūya exists at Kinjoin Temple in present-day Takadanobaba, reflecting the continued attention his story has received in historical writing and dramatic works.
Usugumo Tayū (薄雲太夫)
Usugumo Tayū was a high-ranking courtesan of the Edo period who later became a figure of folklore and popular culture. Her grave at Myōrenji connects the temple to narratives that cut across social class, occupation, and legend.
🏯 Temple details
- Sect: Kempon Hokke-shū (顕本法華宗), a Nichiren Buddhist lineage centred on Myōmanji Temple (Kyoto)
- Founder: Nisshun Shōnin (日遵上人), 11th head priest of Myōmanji
- Founded: 1487 (Chōkyō 1), at the present site
- Object of Worship: The Three Treasures of Buddhism, centred on Nichiren Buddhist doctrine
- Main Hall: Modern reinforced-concrete structure (1960) enclosing a Kansei-period hall (1789–1801)
- Notable Burials: Takagi Masatoshi (Diet member), Marubashi Chūya (Keian Uprising), Usugumo Tayū (Edo-period courtesan)
- Cultural Significance: Historically associated with senior Nichiren clergy and the preservation of Kempon Hokke doctrinal texts
🧭 Visitor Information
Address: 2-1-20 Minamishinagawa, Shinagawa City, Tokyo 140-0004, Japan
Best season: Spring for flowers, Autumn for history walks
Admission: Free
Official Info: None
📍 Where is it?
| what3words | ///grew.products.ages |
| latitude longitude | 35.6151493 139.7365641 |
| Nearest station(s) | Shimbamba (Keikyū Line) |
| Nearest public conveniences | East of the main entrance on Minamibanba St. Or at Shimbamba Station. |
🪧 Show me a sign
Nice
🖋️ Withervee Says
On cats, luck, and the human need for tidy origins
Everyone wants a single birthplace for the maneki-neko. One temple, one cat, one decisive moment. Edo-period storytelling was rarely that considerate. What survives instead are several good stories, each persuasive enough to repeat and strange enough to remember.
Myōrenji enters the picture because Usugumo Tayū is said to be buried here, and one of the better-known maneki-neko legends attaches itself to her and to a cat called Tama. This does not make Myōrenji the “origin.” It does make it part of the myth’s geography, which is often how these things work.
Tama, briefly misjudged
The story itself is efficient and slightly cruel. Usugumo Tayū, a high-ranking courtesan of Yoshiwara, kept a three-coloured cat named Tama (玉). One day, as she tried to enter the toilet, the cat bit the hem of her kimono and refused to let go. This was interpreted as bad behaviour, bad luck, or worse.
The brothel owner, often named Jirōemon in retellings, reacted decisively and cut off the cat’s head. At which point the head flew into the toilet area and killed a large snake lying in wait. The cat had been doing threat prevention. The humans had not.
After this, the tone softens. Usugumo mourns. A cat figure is carved in Tama’s likeness. The image circulates. Good fortune follows. Eventually, a raised paw becomes a business model.
A note on Saihō-ji, before Kyoto gets involved
Accounts of this legend often say that Tama was enshrined at Saihō-ji (西方寺). This is not Kyoto’s moss temple. It refers instead to a Tokyo temple historically linked to the Yoshiwara area and later located in Nishisugamo. The name overlap causes endless confusion, which is perhaps appropriate for a story already doing a lot of symbolic work.
Is this the origin of the maneki-neko?
Possibly. Or possibly it is one of several origin stories that survived because it is vivid, theatrical, and just believable enough. Other Tokyo sites make similar claims, notably Gotokuji and Imado Shrine, and careful sources tend to treat the origin as plural.
Still, Tama’s reputation holds. She noticed the snake. Everyone else noticed too late. If nothing else, it is a reminder that luck, in Edo stories at least, often looks like misunderstanding followed by hindsight.
🌳 Site Character
- Lifestyle 生活 (Seikatsu): ❌
- Historical Significance 歴史 (Rekishi): ✔️
- Atmosphere/Natural Features 風土 (Fūdo): ✔️
👥 Who in their right mind would vote for this?
- Local Nichiren Buddhists
- Political historians
- Folklore fans
- Courtesan culture buffs
- Cat lovers
📚 Further reading
Tesshō: Myōrenji Temple Local temple directory entry with sect affiliation and historical notes.
Theories surrounding the origin of the maneko-neko (beckoning cat). Japanese wikipedia. intojapanwaraku.com
🚶 While you’re there…
Not far away on this side of the Meguro River is the Seikoin Temple and cemetery of the Okudaira family. Over the river are Ebara-jinja and the Chinju Bridge and Kodomo no mori Park.
