in the Tōkyō area
北区 板橋区 豊島区 荒川区 足立区 台東区 新宿区 千代田区
渋谷区 世田谷区 港区 目黒区 江戸川区 埼玉県 神奈川県
Wards: Kita Itabashi Tōshima Arakawa Adachi Taitō Shinjuku
Chiyoda Shibuya Setagaya Minato Meguro Edogawa
Saitama Prefecture Kanagawa Prefecture
Google map of Koshin sites
A short summary of the Kōshin faith
Kōshin (庚申) or Kōshin-shinkō (庚申信仰) is a folk belief in Japan
with Taoist origins, influenced by Shinto, Buddhism and other local beliefs.
The followers of the 庚申講 (Kōshin-kō) Kōshin faith have a special devotion to the day (sunrise to sunrise)
of the 庚申 metal monkey in the iterative 60 day cycle based on the five elements and the twelve animal zodiac.
On the night defined as Kōshin, 三尸/三虫(蟲) (sanshi/sanchū) three worms [also translated as insects or corpses]
(black, green and white), believed to dwell in a person's body, ascend to heaven while their host sleeps.
The 天帝 Emperor of Heaven, apprised by the worms of the host's transgressions during the
previous cycle, deducts a certain number of days from the person's life for each misdeed.
This belief led to the Japanese custom of staying up all night, 「庚申待」 (kōshin-machi) [hang on]/
「守庚申」 (mori kōshin) [protect], to prevent the worms from leaving the body to report on their hosts.
The Worms
「上尸」 Upper worm - resides in human's head, cause illnesses from the neck up, makes people gluttonous
「中尸」 Middle worm - reside inside a human's stomach, causes illnesses in the organs, makes people avaricious
「下尸」 Lower worm - reside in a human's feet, causes illnesses from the waist down, makes people lustful
The 三蟲 sanshuu [three worms] hate monkeys.
Those worshipped during the all night party are:
天帝 (Tentei), the aforementioned Emperor of Heaven;
猿田彦 (Sarutahiko), the patron of martial arts, bringer of world peace and God of Roads;
馬頭観音 (Batō [horse head] Kannon), principal deity of rituals that subjugate evil people
and enemies (usually three faces and eight arms, crown with horse's head); and
青面金剛 (Shōmen [blue faced] Kongō), one of the 羅刹天 (rasetsuten) rakshasa lords. Rakshasas are a race of
malevolent demons or goblins in Hindu mythology that have supernatural powers and often use them for evil.
Shomen Kongō typically has six arms and carries a trident, arrows, a Buddhist Wheel of Law and a bow.
His other hands may be clasped or carry a sword. He may have three faces and generally stands on a demon.
The faithful also revered the three mystic apes (as Lafcadio Hearn called them):
🙈 見ざる (mizaru) "See no evil", 🙉 聞かざる (kikazaru) "Hear no evil", 🙊 言わざる (iwazaru) "Speak no evil".
Many towers depicting Shōmen Kongō have the three mystic apes at the bottom of the tower.
It was believed that when mori-kōshin had been performed three times, the worms would be freightened.
When performed seven times, the worms die out.
庚申塔 Kōshin-tō [towers] were typically erected after a group had practiced mori-kōshin for three years (18 celebrations).
Among the rituals performed at mori-kōshin was the chanting (100 times) of:
南無梵天帝釋 namu bon tentei shaku
青面金剛童子 shōmen kongō dōshi
In the Meiji Era, the government (under the Shinto & Buddhism Separation Order 1872)
deemed the Kōshin Faith to be a superstition and began removing roadside towers.
Most of the remaining Kōshin towers were removed or relocated (to shrine or
temple precincts) due to road expansion after the period of high economic growth.
北区 Kita Ward
40 D5 庚申塔 北区 王子１丁目３０−１２ Ōji 道端 roadside tower
板橋区 Itabashi Ward
38 G6 庚申塔 板橋区 栄町１９−１９ Sakaechō 道端 roadside tower
48 B3 庚申塔 板橋区 大谷口上町８３−１Ōyaguchi kami-chō 道端 roadside towers erected 1731 (right) & 1738.
48 B4 庚申塔 板橋区 大谷口２丁目１３ Ōyaguchi 道端 roadside towers erected in 1677 (taller) & 1685.
48 C1 庚申塔 板橋区 大谷口上町１４−２ Ōyaguchi kami-chō 道端 roadside tower erected in 1712.
48 C4 庚申塔 板橋区 大山西町２８ Ōyama nishimachi 道端 roadside tower erected in 1664.
48 E1 仲町２１−２１−５ 道端 roadside tower
49 A1 仲宿４０−７ Nakajuku 遍照寺 Henshōji Kōshin tower cluster
49 B2 庚申塔 板橋区 板橋３丁目４−１０ Itabashi 観明寺 Kanmyōji
Oldest known tower in Tōkyō. Erected in 1661 (first year of the Kanbun Era).
In a wooden cage behind the temple's shagōhyō [official sign], outside the front gate.
49 C3 庚申塔(東光寺) 板橋区 板橋３丁目１３ 東光寺 Tōkōji
An example of a three faced 青面金剛 (Shōmen [blue faced] Kongō)
豊島区 Tōshima Ward
49 H6 巣鴨庚申堂 豊島区 巣鴨４丁目３５ Sugamo Sarutahiko no Ōkami Kōshindō
69 C2 庚申塔 豊島区 高田１丁目３４−６ Takada
located outside the front gate of 根生院 Konshōin & 藤稲荷大明神 Fuji Inari Daimyōjin
.JPG)
69 C2 庚申塔 (cluster) 豊島区 高田２丁目１２−３９ Takada 金乗院 山門(宿坂) Konjōin Sanmon (yado-zaka) 慈眼寺 Jiganji
倶梨伽羅不動庚申 Kurikara Fudō Kōshin (Dragon King entwined around Fudō's sword)
69 C3 庚申塔 (cluster) 豊島区 高田１丁目１９−１６ Takada 南蔵院 Nanzōin
A pair of towers invoking 馬頭観音 (Batō [horse head] Kannon).
荒川区 Arakawa Ward
62 E1 庚申塔 (trio) ６丁目 荒川区 南千住６丁目６０ Minami senju 素盞雄神社 Susanoo Shrine
(left to right) Erected in 1678 (year 6 of the Enpo Era), 1673 (year 13 of the Kanbun Era) and 1811 (year 8 of the Bunka Era).
(left) depicting 如意輪観音 Nyoirin Kannon & seeds of seishi bosatsu (related to Tsukimachi faith)
(syncretism of Kōshin and Tsukimachi faiths).
(middle) depicting 聖観音 Shō Kannon [Holy Kannon] (syncretism of Kōshin and Amida faiths)
(right) inscribed with 青面金剛 (Shōmen [blue faced] Kongō)
足立区 Adachi Ward
42 F5 布袋尊・庚申塔 Senju Okawacho 足立区 千住大川町１２−１２ 大川町氷川神社
located on the edge of 千寿七福神 Senju Shichi Fukujin [7 Lucky Gods] 布袋尊 Hoteison
42 G6 庚申塔 足立区 千住５丁目１８−３ ハイツリヨン Senju
located outside the gate of 長福寺 Anyōin
43 A6 庚申塔 足立区 日ノ出町４２−４ Hinodecho 清亮寺 Seiryōji
43 E3 庚申塔 足立区 西綾瀬４丁目 Nishi Ayase
44 A2 聖観音立像庚申塔 足立区 東綾瀬１丁目１９−１０ Higashi Ayase 観音寺 Kannonji
43 F3 庚申塔（青面金剛像） 足立区 綾瀬４丁目９ Ayase
台東区 Taito Ward
62 A6 庚申塚 (cluster) 小野照崎神社 台東区 下谷２丁目１３−１４ Shitaya
Kōshin dzuka-Ono Terusaki Jinja
There are a pair of monkey guardians at the Fuji-zuka in the same precincts.
72 E3 9 D2 庚申塔 台東区 浅草２丁目７
to right of chikara ishi
62 G6 庚申塔 台東区 今戸２丁目１７−３ Imado 瑞泉寺 Zuisenji
新宿区 Shinjuku Ward
80 18 B2 筑土八幡神社の庚申塔 Tsukudo hachimanchō 新宿区 筑土八幡町２−２１ 筑土八幡神社
79 D1 庚申塔 新宿区 喜久井町 Kikuichō 浄土宗 紫雲山 来迎寺 Jōdoshuu Shiun-san Raikōji
78 A5 淀橋庚申堂 Nishi Shinjuku 新宿区 西新宿５丁目２３−５ Yodobashi Kōshindō
69 D4 庚申塔 新宿区 早稲田鶴巻町１丁目７ Waseda Tsurumakichō 早稲田観音寺 Waseda Kannonji
千代田区 Chiyoda Ward
(81 F3) 20 G5 庚申塔 千代田区 神田須田町２丁目２５−１ Kanda Sudachō 柳森神社 Yanagimori Jinja
渋谷区 Shibuya Ward
86 B6 笹塚庚申堂 渋谷区 笹塚２丁目２０−１ Sasazuka
86 D5 渋谷 庚申塔 Hatagaya 渋谷区 幡ケ谷１丁目１０−７ 牛窪地蔵尊 Ushikubo Jizōson
87 H3 渋谷 庚申塔 Sendagaya 渋谷区 千駄ケ谷４丁目２２−６
88 A4 庚申塚 Sendagaya 渋谷区 千駄ケ谷１丁目１ located outside Shinmeisha Shrine
88 B4 渋谷 庚申塔 Sendagaya 渋谷区 千駄ケ谷１丁目１３−７ 聖輪寺 Seirinji
(96 H6) 14 H5 庚申塔群 渋谷区 渋谷３丁目４ Shibuya 豊栄稲荷神社 Toyosaka Inari Jinja
.JPG)
.JPG)
97 B6 庚申塔 渋谷区 東４丁目９−１ Higashi (Shibuya)
白根記念渋谷区郷土博物館・文学館 Shirane Memorial Museum of History & Literature
105 H3 15 F2 渋谷 庚申塚 Ebisu Nishi 渋谷区 恵比寿西２丁目１１−８
世田谷区 Setagaya Ward
95 D3 庚申堂ō世田谷区 北沢３丁目１７ Kitazawa 道端 roadside tower
95 C5 北澤庚申堂 Kitazawa Kōshin-dō 世田谷区 北沢２丁目１４−１ Kitazawa 道端 roadside towers
104 H3 池尻庚申堂 世田谷区 池尻２丁目２３−２０ Kitazawa 道端 roadside towers
港区 Minato Ward
97 B3 13 G4 庚申塔 港区 北青山３丁目５−１７ Kita Aoyama 善光寺 Zenkōji
目黒区 Meguro Ward
115 16 C3 庚申塔 目黒区 下目黒１丁目８−５ Shimo Meguro 大圓寺 Daienji
江戸川区 Edogawa Ward
146 C2 白山神社前の庚申塔 江戸川区 松江４丁目１５−１７
146 C2 松江４丁目３１−９ Matsue
74 D3 庚申堂 江戸川区 平井７丁目３１−７
146 C5 Kōmyōji
埼玉県 Saitama Prefecture
131 E1 埼玉県 Zenpukuji
百体庚申社 Hyaku tai kōshin-sha [Shrine of One Hundred Stone Monkeys]
埼玉県 さいたま市浦和区常盤６丁目４−４
"This one hundred piece Kōshin Shrine was carved by Toro Town resident, Shinmi Kuniichirō, who dedicated one monkey statue as a god of good fortune over seventeen years on the day/night of Kōshin. 庚申塔 Kōshintō are typically erected to celebrate the spiritual achievement of a group of the faithful (after 3 years/18 observations of mori kōshin). Shinmi Kuniichirō's individual enshrinement is thought to be unique in Saitama City. Each monkey has its own facial expression and is full of life." (middle paragraph)
埼玉県さいたま市北区土呂町 Torochō, Kita Ward, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture
Some photos of the shrine from 1968 from the Saitama City Board of Education
Lifeling Learning Department Cultural Properties Protection Division.
A Kōshin tower next to the Shrine of 100 Stone Monkeys
猿田彦神社 Sarutahiko Jinja 埼玉県 さいたま市大宮区高鼻町１丁目４１１−３ Takahanachō Town, Omiya City
神奈川県 Kanagawa Prefecture
鎌倉市山ノ内 Yamanouchi Kamakura City 道端 roadside towers (cluster)
About 500 feet east (uphill) of the entrance to 明月院 Meigetsu-in Temple.
About 450 feet further along is a delightful coffee shop, 珈琲と音楽 [Coffee & Music].
The establiishment is decorated with musical instruments and pleasant compositions play in the sitting area.
The left most monument is inscribed with 青面金剛塔 (Shōmen Kongō-tō), a tower
dedicated to the blue faced deity in 1810, includes the three mystic apes at the base.
The second from the left is a bas relief of 青面金剛 (Shōmen Kongō-tō) with a trident and arrows in his
right hands and a Buddhist wheel of law and bow in his left hands. His remaining hands are clasped in prayer.
The three mystic apes are represented below the deity. This tower was offered in 1710.
The middle rock is inscribed with 青面金剛 (Shōmen Kongō). Dates from 1860.
The second from the right bears the name of 馬頭観音 (Batō Kannon). Erected in 1829.
The rectangular pillar on the right bears a Sanskrit character and the engraving 堅牢地神天 (Kenrōjishin ten)
[God of the earth], one of the Twelve Deva Guardians of Esoteric Buddhism in Japan. Dedicated in 1814.
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