A five minute walk from Meguro JR & Metro Stations, 大圓寺 Daienji (Tendai sect Buddhist temple) is located on the steep 行人坂 Gyōninsaka [Travelers Slope].
水子地蔵 Mizuko Jizo who rescue babies from hell (limbo)
五百羅漢石仏群 Five Hundred Arhats (a person who has attained enlightenment and is free from the cycle of rebirth) of Daienji
とろけ地蔵 Toroke Jizō (Melting Jizō) who makes people's worries melt away & prayer wheel.
境内左側釈迦堂 Keidai Hidarigawa Shakadō [Shakado Hall] enshrining the wooden
釈迦如来立像 Shaka Nyorai Ryūzō standing statue (Important Cultural Property of Japan).
The hall is open to the public at New Years (1-7 January), 8 April and
the days of the Wood Rat (甲子) when a Daikoku Festival is held.
七福神 Shichi Fukujin [Seven Lucky Gods or Seven Gods of Fortune]
(back) 毘沙門天 Bishamonten - God of fortune in war and battles. Protector of those who follow the rules & behave appropriately, holy sites & important places. Patron of fighters. Depicted in armour & a helmet, carrying a pagoda in his left hand & a spear in his right hand.
(left front) 福禄寿 Fukurokuju - God of wisdom, luck, longevity, wealth & happiness. Patron of chess players. Holding a staff.
寿老人 Jurōjin - God of the elderly & of longevity. Depicted with a very long head with a long white beard. A lover of rice and sake.
(left) 大黒天 Daikokuten - God of commerce & prosperity. Patron of cooks, farmers & bankers. Protector of crops.
Demon Hunter. Characterized by his smile, his short legs, the hat on his head & depicted with a bag full of money.
恵比寿 Ebisu - God of prosperity, wealth in business, plenitude & abundance in crops, cereals & food in general.
Patron of fishermen. Represented with fishermen's typical hat.
It is common to see his figure in restaurants where fish is served or in household kitchens.
(left) 弁才天 / 弁財天 Benzaiten (also 弁天 Benten, 弁天様 Bentensama and 弁才天女 Benzaitennyo) - Goddess of financial fortune, talent, beauty and music. Patroness of artists, writers, dancers, and geisha. Depicted holding a biwa, Japanese traditional lute.
布袋 Hotei - God of fortune, popularity and happiness. Guardian of children. Patron of diviners and barmen. Depicted as a fat, smiling, bald man with a curly moustache, shabbily dressed, his enormous stomach uncovered, carrying a bag on his shoulders loaded with fortunes.
大圓寺 Daien-ji temple enshrines 大黒天 Daikokuten - God of commerce & prosperity.
大黒天 Daikokuten and is on the 山手七福神めぐり Yamate Seven Lucky Gods Pilgrimage route established in 1839 (the first week or so of the new year)
藥師如來 Yakushi Nyorai Healing Buddha (one applies gold foil to the part on the statue corresponding to one's troubles).
Three Kōshin towers in the precincts
all three bear the representation of the three mystic apes (so called by Lafcadio Hearn)
🙈 見ざる (mizaru) "See no evil", 🙉 聞かざる (kikazaru) "Hear no evil", 🙊 言わざる (iwazaru) "Speak no evil".
right tower erected 寛文七年 1667年
middle tower erected 貞享元甲子天 1684年
left tower erected 寛文八之天 1668年
行人坂敷石造道供養碑 (Gyōninsaka shikiishi zō michikuyōhi) Gyōninsaka Stone-paved Road Memorial
阿弥陀 Amida ・ 観音 Kannon ・ 勢去 Zei sa castration
身代わり地蔵尊 Substitute Jizō
Daikoku
belfry
観世音菩薩像 Kazeon-bosatsu
宝印手菩薩 treasure seal hand Bodhisattva 修羅能化 fighting enabling
持地菩薩 land holdings 人間能化 human
宝掌菩薩 treasure palm 餓鬼能化 brat
地蔵菩薩 Jizō 地獄能化 jigoku
宝処菩薩 treasure 畜生能化 damn it
堅固慧菩薩 strong wisdom 天上能化 heaven
禽獸靈
阿弥陀堂 Amidadō
道祖神 Dōsoshin [Traveler's Guardian Deity]. Protects travelers from epidemics & evil spirits.
The temple was the site of the start of one of the three great fires of Edo. 明和の大火 Great Meiwa Fire (1772) 14,700 souls were lost (plus 4,000 missing). The monk responsible for the arson was burned at the stake.