Category: KOMAE

Just a minute’s walk from the North Exit of Komae Station, you step off the Odakyū Line and into another world. Senryū-ji Temple sits quietly in the heart of Komae City, a reminder that even in suburban Tokyo—defined by trains, apartments, and convenience stores—the past is still alive, waiting for you to notice. I happened upon it and could feel the pull from concrete into lush greenery.

Founded in the year 765 by the monk Rōben, who is also tied to the great Tōdai-ji in Nara, Senryū-ji has been a place of prayer and continuity for more than twelve centuries.

The temple grounds are not sprawling, but they hold treasures: a two-storied bell tower rare in Tokyo, cultural assets protected by the city, and a pond dedicated to Benzaiten said to have appeared when Rōben prayed for rain. Walking here, you can feel how myth, history, and everyday devotion overlap.

What I love about Senryū-ji is its sense of contrast. The hum of trains and the rhythm of weekend revelers are right outside the gate, but inside, it’s very quiet, like today, with only the sounds of consistent raindrops pitter-pattering, either on statues, the top of my umbrella, or the changing leaves of autumn. Seasonal colors shift the mood.

Tokyo has countless temples, and many of them overwhelm with their size or their crowds. Senryū-ji is different. It doesn’t demand attention—it invites it. I could breathe here. And I was alone. So rare these days.

If you find yourself on the Odakyū Line, make the stop. Wander into Senryū-ji. It won’t take long, but it may stay with you far longer than you expect. Writing about it now is bringing the experience even more deeply within me.

26oct25