Zojo-ji Temple, In The Shadow of Tokyo Tower

My first visit to Japan was in October-November 2001.  I was in Tokyo for the Tokyo International Film Festival which was screening Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack.

While in Tokyo, I did manage to wander around the city.  One of the stops I made was to the Zojo-ji Temple ("The Temple of the Shoguns").  It is in the shadow of Tokyo Tower. The Temple dates back to 1393.  It has been at its present location since 1590.

Much of it is a reproduction as the Temple was destroyed during World War II bombing raids.  If memory serves, the Temple's gate (below) is original.

At the time of my visit, the temple was undergoing renovation (top photo).  On the Temple's grounds, I came across a Himalayian cedar tree (below) that was planted by the former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, while in Japan as a national guest in 1879.

Zojo-ji Temple makes a quick appearance in Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

 
JapanTourist has a nice photo-essay on Zojo-ji.  To view it, go here.