Culture and History of Daimon

Zojoji is central to understanding Daimon's history. The temple was founded in 1393, became the Tokugawa family's principal temple after Tokugawa Ieyasu established himself in the Kanto region, and moved to its present Shiba location in 1598. Zojoji's outer principal gate was known as the Daimon, giving the modern district and station their name. The present gate was rebuilt in concrete in 1937 as part of road improvements. Zojoji contains the graves of six Tokugawa shoguns: Hidetada, Ienobu, Ietsugu, Ieshige, Ieyoshi and Iemochi. Its Important Cultural Property San解脱門, or Sangedatsumon, has been undergoing major conservation work since January 2025, with completion scheduled for June 2032. Nearby Shiba Daijingu, Shiba Park and the Former Shiba Rikyu Gardens add further layers of history. The striking feature of Daimon is the immediate coexistence of a modern office district with a street pattern and monuments recalling Edo-period Tokyo.