Zenpukuji

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The road that curves from the downtown section up into the hills flanks Zenpukuji, a temple constructed in 824. Starting in 1859, Zenpukuji temporarily served as home to Townsend Harris, the first American ambassador to Japan. The temple was chosen due to its high ceilings which more readily accommodated the height of the American ambassador. Ceilings in Japan are all around higher today, due to increased heights resulting from a more protein-rich diet. Alongside Zenpukuji, climbing into the hillside is an ancient, meandering cemetery, the centerpiece of which is a giant ginkgo tree with a girth of 10 meters which, according to legend, started its life as a consecrated staff stuck in the ground by Shinran Shonin in the ninth century that subsequently blossomed into a massive explosion of divine flora. It is probably the oldest living thing in the entirety of Tokyo.

Lots more pix to come in this section!
(We have very slomo internets here)
Won't you please check back later?

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Photos

38 views of MotoAbazu Hills
View No.28

I thought this guy was real
...out of the corner of my eye, I mean.

Comments

[Jennifer]

Can't view all the photos
My husband and I will be moving there this fall, and your in the exact area! We are hoping to find a place in Moto Azabu Hills, and send our children to the Summerhill Preschool there. For some reason, I can't see all the photos you have posted. Example, one page says 38 views of Moto Azabu Hills, but only the first photo in the series is viewable. I am on a Mac. Would love to see them -especially the preschool area and the apartment building. Thanks, Jenn