Jindaiji Temple Audio Guide

Welcome to Jindaiji Temple

Welcome to Jindaiji Temple. From Shinjuku you change trains, then ride a bus from in front of Chofu Station for a dozen or so minutes. The busy streets fade away, the green outside the window deepens, and you arrive at the gate of Jindaiji. The moment you step off the bus, you will surely notice how cool and clear the air has become. This is said to be one of the oldest temples in Tokyo, still keeping the face of the old Musashino countryside — a quiet place of prayer, blessed with abundant spring water and wrapped in the sound of trees and streams. Along the approach, shops serving Jindaiji soba, made with that clear water, stand side by side, and the fragrant aroma of broth drifts through the air. For locals, it is a place of rest they return to through the seasons, for prayers of good matchmaking and for the soba. For travelers, it is a corner where you can meet deep greenery and a slower flow of time, hard to believe so close to the city center. Over the next hour or so, let's trace the stories carved into this temple of water and green. Stop wherever catches your eye, and listen at your own pace. Let's begin with how this ancient temple came to be — the history of Jindaiji.