ArticleKey #23: Zo Of All Trades

“Do not see yourself as belonging either in the past or in the present. Instead, imagine yourself straddling the border between the past and the future” (gained in translation).

Its full name is Zojoji/Zojo Temple. It's 950 meters and 565 years away from Tokyo Tower, but the above picture reveals nothing of either the physical or temporal distance. As far as that picture is concerned, the symbol of Edo and the symbol of Tokyo are right next to each, and they coexist in perfect harmony - even though the former wasn't even created in Edo. Tokugawa Ieyasu (arguably, the most persistent feature of these notes) chanced upon the old temple and liked it so much that he ordered it transported to his new capital. Later, the leader of the Tokugawa clan developed quite a relationship with the building and its premises: Zojoji's main Buddha statue - the so-called "Black Buddha" - became Ieyasu's lucky charm responsible for all his military success, and one of the adjacent gardens turned into his family's burial ground.

The garden is full of contradictions. Six out of fifteen Tokugawa shoguns are buried there, and the atmosphere is solemn enough to show Death its proper respect - yet, it's strangely uplifting, too. The weight of history brings sadness and ruminations but both are tinged with beauty and even admiration for that intrinsic order that comes with a perfectly shaped space (in this case, it's a rectangle dotted with spaced out tombs that look more like pieces of art than messengers of Death).  

"Tokugawa garden" is not the only proof that Zojoji's knows its way around Death. Another example of the temple's uncanny ability to deal with the Grim Reaper, lighten its burden, and almost turn it into art, is the "Garden of Unborn Children". According to Japanese mythology, stillborn children and those who are lost to miscarriages or abortions, are plagued by demons preventing them from reaching afterlife. The only force able to defeat those demons is Jizobosatsu - a powerful protector assigned by Buddha himself to ensure such children's safe passage. The garden is full of stone statues representing Jizo - and of toys and other gifts left by grateful parents. The most universal of such gifts is a knit hat (depending on the workload, Jizo might have to work around the clock, and Japanese nights can be cold…). Both the garden's name and its story are truly heartrending, and yet, the atmosphere in the garden is light, almost festive. 

While straddling the borders between life and death, as well as between the past and the future, Zojoji doesn't forget about its primary duty as a temple - and here one video is really worth many words…

In addition to history, philosophy, spirituality and healing, there is culture and actual art. Zojoji hosts special exhibitions, and the one I chanced upon, had come from Buckingham Palace in London. It was inaugurated by a royalty who happened to be visiting Tokyo at that time…