Kishibojin Buddhist temple in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, stems from a small shrine built in 1578 by locals.

According to an Indian legend, Kishibojin originally was an atrocious goddess capturing nearby children to eat.  However, she finally became a merciful goddess of a safe delivery and parenting after complying with the earnest protest of the Buddha.  She turned into a faithful devotee of the Buddha and people have respected her since.  Kishibojin Buddhist temple in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, is one of the oldest and most famous ones in Japan.  The locals built a small shrine in 1578 to enshrine an old Kishibojin image which was said to be excavated from the neighboring site in 1561.  This is the origine of present-time Kishibojin Buddhist temple in Tokyo.  The building in the first photo was built in 1664 by the lawful wife of the daimyo feudal lord of Hiroshima domain, and is designated as a national important cultural property.  This is the second generation of Kishibojin temple in Tokyo.  The temple attracted many believers in Tokyo in the Edo period (the 17th-19th century) as it was believed to be beneficial for safe deliveries and parenting.  The second photo shows the approach to the temple, the big trees standing along which imply the old history of the temple.

Jason Hardy

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