Old Edo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage #3 Sanjusangen-do Temple

     You know Sanjusangen-do Temple in Kyoto, Don’t you?  The Toshiya archery exhibition contest in front of the temple building dates back to the 16th century.  At the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the archery exhibition contest there became so popular that the copy temple was built in Edo in 1643 to organize the contest.

     The temple was, however, torn down in 1872, when the Tokyo Castle, which used to be called the Edo Castle before 1868, became the Imperial Palace.  The first railway service was started in the year, and Edo was rapidly metamorphosing itself into Tokyo.  Today, we can only find the stone statue left to show the site.

Address: 2 Chome-4 Tomioka, Koto Ward, Tokyo 135-0047