From Gokoku-ji Temple to Zoshigaya Kishimojin Temple, Sunshine City, and Sunshine Aquarium

History and Local Charm

This walking route leads from Gokoku-ji Temple in Bunkyo Ward through Zoshigaya to Higashi-Ikebukuro in Toshima Ward. The first half visits temples and halls dating back to the Edo period, while the second half takes you to a large complex built during the Showa era.

Gokoku-ji Temple is the head temple of the Shingon Buddhism Buzan School, founded in 1681 (Tenna 1) by the 5th shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, at the wish of his birth mother, Keishoin. Despite being located in the heart of the city, which suffered from earthquakes and war damage, its main hall from the Genroku era remains unchanged in appearance. Zoshigaya Kishimojin Temple is the Kishimojin hall of Homyo-ji Temple of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism, and it garnered veneration among commoners throughout the Edo period for beliefs such as safe childbirth. The hall, featuring a main hall (honden) built in 1664 (Kanbun 4), is a designated National Important Cultural Property.

Sunshine City stands on the former site of the Tokyo Detention House, which became Sugamo Prison after World War II. After the detention facility moved to Kosuge in 1971, the former site was redeveloped as a commercial subcenter, and Sunshine City opened in 1978. Sunshine Aquarium is an aquarium located on the rooftop of the World Import Mart Building within Sunshine City. Because the aquarium is inside Sunshine City, you can easily visit both in sequence.

Key Highlights

• ​Gokoku-ji Temple​​: The main hall, Kannon-do, is a grand wooden structure completed in 1697 (Genroku 10) after roughly six months of construction, and it is a designated National Important Cultural Property. Inside the main hall, visitors can view a tablet bearing the inscription "Shitchi-in" brushed by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. The Gekko-den, a guest hall relocated in 1928 (Showa 3) from a sub-temple of Mii-dera Temple in Otsu, is also a National Important Cultural Property. Prominent figures of the Meiji era, including Sanjo Sanetomi, Yamagata Aritomo, and Okuma Shigenobu, rest within the temple grounds.
• ​Zoshigaya Kishimojin Temple​​: Built in the gongen-zukuri style, the hall connects the main sanctuary (honden) and the worship hall (haiden) via an intermediate chamber (ai-no-ma). Towering in the precincts is a giant ginkgo tree with an estimated age of 700 years, designated as a Tokyo Natural Monument and also referred to as the "child-granting ginkgo." The precincts also host Kamikawaguchiya, a traditional penny-candy shop operating since the Edo period, with "Founded in 1781" written above its shop name.
• ​Sunshine City​​: Spread across five buildings, it gathers an aquarium, an observation deck, a shopping center, a hotel, a museum, and a theater. The central tower, Sunshine 60, stands 239.7 meters tall and was the tallest building in Asia when completed. From its observation deck, Tenbou Park, located at an elevation of 251 meters, you can enjoy a 360-degree expansive panoramic view.
• ​Sunshine Aquarium​​: Opening in 1978 as the Sunshine International Aquarium, it introduced the concept of an "Oasis in the Sky" during a full facility renewal in 2011. In the outdoor area's "Penguins in the Sky," visitors can observe African penguins swimming as if soaring through the sky above the surrounding skyscrapers. In the donut-shaped Sunshine Aqua Ring tank, you can look up directly from below at the bellies and flippers of sea lions.

Suggested Route & Duration

The estimated time required is approximately 5 hours. To reach Gokoku-ji Temple, it takes about a 1-minute walk from Gokokuji Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line. Pass through the Nio-mon Gate and climb the stairs ahead, and you will find the main hall beyond the Furo-mon Gate.

From Gokoku-ji Temple to Zoshigaya Kishimojin Temple, walk about 1.2 kilometers westward. Zoshigaya Cemetery is located about 540 meters east of the Kishimojin hall, making it easy to visit together. After paying your respects, take a stroll down the approach lined with ancient zelkova trees over 400 years old. As you advance along the stone-paved path, Nio statues stand on either side.

From Kishimojin to Sunshine City, it is roughly 930 meters to the northeast. To reach the aquarium, take the dedicated "Elevator to Aquarium" from the 1st floor of the World Import Mart Building up to the 10th-floor rooftop. Because in the evening the sea lions leave the Sunshine Aqua Ring in the outdoor area and go back to their pool, visiting the aquarium while it is still light out is recommended. At night, you can conclude your day by admiring the night views of Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building from the Sunshine 60 observation deck. On your return, Higashi-Ikebukuro Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line is about a 3-minute walk via an underground passage. Ikebukuro Station is about an 8-minute walk away.

Experience Summary

From the Genroku-era main hall commissioned by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi and an Edo-era temple hall at the end of a zelkova-lined approach, to the modern high-rise complex built on the site of a former prison, and the rooftop aquarium. This walking journey allows you to trace the shifting eras from Edo to Showa and modern-day Ikebukuro in a single day.