From the Teien Art Museum and Institute for Nature Study in Shirokanedai, Down Gyoninzaka Slope to Meguro Fudo Temple

At the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum in Shirokanedai, view the Art Deco former residence of Prince Asaka and three gardens, then walk through the forest of the adjacent Institute for Nature Study, National Museum of Nature and Science. Return to Meguro Station, head down Gyoninzaka Slope from the West Exit, visit the stone Buddhas of Daien-ji Temple and the Rakan statues of Gohyaku Rakan-ji Temple, and conclude the tour at Meguro Fudo Temple.

History and Local Charm

The forest of the Institute for Nature Study in Shirokanedai holds layers of long history. During the Muromachi period, a local clan built a residence here. In Kanbun 4 (1664) of the Edo period, it became the shimoyashiki (suburban residence) of Matsudaira Sanuki-no-kami Yorishige, the lord of the Takamatsu Domain. In Taisho 6 (1917), it came under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Forestry Bureau of the Imperial Household Ministry and was called the Shirokane Goryochi (Shirokane Imperial Estate). Part of this land—the site where the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum stands today—was allocated for the estate of Prince Asaka. The residence for Prince Asaka and his wife, who had been captivated by Art Deco in France, was completed in 1933. The forest of the Institute for Nature Study was designated as a national Natural Monument and Historic Site in Showa 24 (1949).

Meguro Fudo Temple, located down the slope from the West Exit of Meguro Station, is said to have been founded in Daido 3 (808) by Ennin. The third shōgun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, deeply revered the temple and erected a grand temple complex, making it one of the leading pilgrimage and excursion destinations in the suburbs of Edo. The slope in front of Daien-ji Temple along the way came to be called Gyoninzaka Slope because the temple became the head temple of the Shugen Gyonin sect. Daien-ji Temple is said to have been the origin of the Great Meiwa Fire of 1772 (Gyoninzaka Fire).

At Daien-ji Temple, a story is passed down that Kichisa, said to be the lover of Yaoya Oshichi, took the tonsure, changed his name to Saiun, and vowed to make daily pilgrimages to Meguro Fudo and Asakusa Kannon for 10,000 days. The route from the temple on Gyoninzaka Slope to Meguro Fudo is tied together by such lore.

Major Highlights

• ​Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum​​: The residence of Prince Asaka, completed in 1933, opened as an art museum in 1983. The main building and the tea house were designated as national Important Cultural Properties in 2015. At the front entrance are glass doors featuring winged female figures by René Lalique, and in the anteroom (Tsugi-no-ma) stands the white porcelain "Perfume Tower" designed by Henri Rapin. There are three gardens: a lawn garden, a Japanese garden, and a Western garden.
• ​Institute for Nature Study, National Museum of Nature and Science​​: A forested green space of approximately 20 hectares, designated as a national Natural Monument and Historic Site as the "Former Shirokane Imperial Estate." Highlights include the "Story Pine" (Monogatari-no-matsu), an old pine that conveys the atmosphere of the suburban daimyo residence, Gourd Pond (Hyotan-ike), the approximately 300-year-old "Orochi Pine" (Orochi-no-matsu) preserved in the fallen state caused by a typhoon in Reiwa 1 (2019), and earthen ramparts considered to be the remains of a medieval manor.
• ​Daien-ji Temple​​: A Tendai Buddhist temple said to be the origin of the Gyoninzaka Fire. Along the cliff on the left side of the grounds, around 520 stone Buddhas are arranged in multiple tiers, designated as Tangible Cultural Properties of Tokyo. They are said to have been carved to pray for the souls of those who perished in the great fire, displaying various facial expressions, such as figures resting their chins in their hands in deep thought.
• ​Gohyaku Rakan-ji Temple​​: A temple affectionately known as "Meguro no Rakan-san." Monk Shoun Genkei gathered donations through alms-begging around the city of Edo and spent more than ten years completing the Rakan statues. Among them, 305 statues remain today and are designated as Tangible Cultural Properties of Tokyo. In the Main Hall, the scene of Shakyamuni Buddha preaching is recreated.
• ​Meguro Fudo Temple​​: The common name for Taieizan Ryusen-ji, a Tendai Buddhist temple regarded as the oldest Fudo sacred site in the Kanto region. Highlights include Tokko Falls, where a spring is said to have gushed forth when Ennin threw his vajra (tokko), the Great Main Hall atop steep stone steps, the bronze seated statue of Dainichi Nyorai behind the Main Hall, and the grave of Aoki Kon'yo, a national Historic Site.

Recommended Route & Estimated Time

The estimated time required is about 5 hours. It takes a 7-minute walk from the East Exit of Meguro Station on the JR Yamanote Line to reach Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum. In the main building, first view the glass doors at the front entrance, then proceed from the Great Hall through the anteroom into the Great Drawing Room. An exhibition ticket also grants admission to the gardens.

The Institute for Nature Study, National Museum of Nature and Science is located about 190 meters north of the Teien Art Museum. Follow the numbers on the park map past the Story Pine, Gourd Pond, Orochi Pine, Waterfowl Marsh, and the medieval residence ruins, where you can observe U-shaped earthen ramparts. The admission capacity is set at 300 people at any one time. After leaving the forest, follow Meguro-dori Avenue back toward Meguro Station.

Exit the West Exit of Meguro Station and walk down Gyoninzaka Slope for about 3 minutes to reach Daien-ji Temple. Once inside the temple gate, see the Toroke Jizo beside the main hall and the group of stone Buddhas along the cliff. Continuing down Gyoninzaka Slope brings you to the Hyakudan Kaidan (100-step staircase) of Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, beyond which Taiko Bridge spans the Meguro River. In the past, it was a stone arch bridge shaped like the barrel of a taiko drum, though today only the name remains. Along the lower stretch of the Meguro River from Dengaku Bridge to Taiko Bridge, the river widens and a promenade has been laid out.

Gohyaku Rakan-ji Temple is located about 570 meters southwest in a straight line from Daien-ji Temple. Photography is generally prohibited on the premises, especially for Buddhist statues. In the Rakan-do Hall, walk along while comparing the distinct facial expressions of each statue. Meguro Fudo Temple is about 140 meters west-southwest from there. After passing through the Niomon Gate, first view Tokko Falls and the Maefudo-do Hall on the left at the base of the stone steps, then climb the stairs to visit the Great Main Hall, the Dainichi Nyorai behind it, and the cemetery. On the 28th of every month, a grand festival (Ennichi) is held, with street stalls lining the gate area and temple grounds. For the return trip, it is a 15-minute walk to Fudomae Station on the Tokyu Meguro Line, or a 20-minute walk back to Meguro Station.

Experience Summary

Art Deco decorations preserved in a former imperial prince's residence and an urban forest carrying traces of a feudal lord's suburban villa. Walking down the slope leads to places of prayer for the people of Edo: stone Buddhas dedicated to the victims of a devastating fire, Rakan statues made possible by funds raised through alms-begging, and a sacred Fudo sanctuary tied to Tokugawa Iemitsu. Bridging the east and west sides of Meguro Station, this route lets you experience both modern elegance and Edo-era devotion.