Culture and History of Sengakuji

Sengakuji, the institution that gives the station its name, is one of the historic Soto Zen temples known as the Edo Three Temples. According to the temple's official history, it was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612 in Soto-Sakurada and moved to Takanawa after a fire in 1641. During the Edo period it was also an important center of monastic education, reportedly hosting around 200 student monks at a time. Because Sengakuji was the family temple of the Asano lords of Ako, the forty-seven retainers were buried near their lord after the famous December 14, 1702 raid. The later popularity of Chushingura helped make the site nationally known. Today visitors can see the Ako Gishi Memorial Museum, wooden statues of the retainers, the 1836 middle gate, the 1832 main gate and a statue of Oishi Kuranosuke. The juxtaposition of this 400-year historical landscape with the new Takanawa Gateway district is a defining local characteristic. ([曹洞宗 江戸三ヶ寺 萬松山 泉岳寺][8])