Matsuchiyama Shoden (Honryuin)

History and Divine Virtue

Not a shrine but a Buddhist temple of the Sho-Kannon school — a sub-temple of Sensoji, formally named Honryuin. Its principal images are Daisho Kangiten, affectionately called Shoden-sama, and the Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva. Tradition holds that it began in the year 601, when Daisho Kangiten delivered the people from a devastating drought — making it one of the oldest temples in Asakusa. Throughout the grounds you will find the emblems of Shoden devotion: the daikon radish and the drawstring purse. The radish signifies bodily health and marital harmony; the purse, the blessing of wealth. Offerings of daikon never cease at the main hall, and at New Year the offered radishes are simmered and served to visitors as furofuki daikon in the Daikon Matsuri festival. Standing on a small hill overlooking the Sumida River, this temple has long been a place of prayer woven into the life of the old downtown, cherished by those who come to pray for harmonious marriage and prosperous business.

Visiting Notes

• Purchasing a fresh daikon on the grounds and offering it at the hall is the form of worship unique to Matsuchiyama.
• At the Daikon Matsuri on January 7 each year, the offered radishes are cooked and served to visitors.
• Every morning the main hall performs the yokuyu kito, a secret oil-anointing rite distinctive to Shoden devotion.

Deities and Location

Enshrined Deities

Daishō Kangiten, Jūichimen Kannon (Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva)

Location

東京都台東区浅草 (Tokyo)

Access

About 10 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station (all lines)

Lineage

Wealth & Prosperity

Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.