High-Tech Yamaraja from Tokyo – By Parag Barve

Houjyouin Temple dedicated to Yamaraja (Skt: यमराज) located at Monzen-Nakacho in Tokyo is a worth visiting!

In Japan, Yamadeva is known as Enma-ten (閻魔天) or Enma-daiou (閻魔大王, Lit:Yamaraja)
According to the Buddhist belief, Yamadeva is one of the 12 protectors of Buddhism.

The original temple was constructed in 1629 and well known as one of the three major temples of Yamadeva during Edo era. In recent times, the temple has been renovated and a 3.5-meter tall statue of Yamadeva has been installed.. perhaps the biggest statue of Yamadeva in Japan.
By the way, it’s not an ordinary statue but a High-Tech one! He’ll greet you in soft language when one donates a coin in front of the statue. Not only this, but his greetings changes based on one puts the coin in which donation box out of 19 in front of the statue.

The “Hell / Paradise diagram” is displayed in the Hall at the ground floor, where one can see and an illustration of Hell painted during Edo period.

In the center of this hall, there is a golden image of Shaka Nyorai (Gautam Buddha or Historical Buddha) with a beautiful image of Fugen Bosatsu (Skt: Samantabhadra) on his left and Kujaku Myo’o (Skt: Mahamayuri Vaidya-Rajni) on the right.
This temple is open for public view on 1st and 16th of every month.

In India, there are very few temples dedicated to Yamadeva but on the contrary, he is worshiped across many Buddhist temples in Japan. Not only this, but even “Chitragupta” appears along with Yamadeva in some of the temples here.

Kujaku Myo’o (孔雀明王, Sanskrit: Mahamayuri Vidya-rajni, a protective goddess of wisdom)

Guest Post Contribution to the community by

Parag Barve
Apart from various interests, he loves to write on the cultural angle like Gods of India and similarity with Gods in Japan

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