From the Vintage Clothing Town of Koenji to Horinouchi Myoho-ji Temple and Omiya Hachimangu Shrine

History and Local Charm

Koenji in Suginami Ward is packed with small restaurants, wine bars, and cafes, and is also known as a vintage clothing town. The name "Koenji" originally comes from a single temple within the town. Shukuhozan Koenji is a Soto Zen temple founded in 1555 (the first year of the Koji era). It is said that the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, had the village—previously called Ozawa Village—renamed Koenji Village after the temple. That name later became the station name as well.

Walking south from Koenji brings you to Horinouchi Myoho-ji Temple. A temple of the Nichiren sect known as the "Yakuyoke Soshi" (evil-warding founder) and "Horinouchi no Ososhisama," records show that in the Edo period, many worshipers gathered here for Hatsumode (New Year visits) and Setsubun-e, and it was celebrated alongside Asakusa Kannon.

Further to the southwest stands Omiya Hachimangu Shrine. According to the shrine's legend, it is said to have been founded by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi in 1063 (the sixth year of the Kohei era) and was once called the "Omiya of Tama," one of the three great shrines of Musashi Province. Today, it is also referred to as the "belly button of Tokyo."

From a vintage clothing town to the temple that gave the area its name, the revered founder worshipped by Edo citizens, and a Hachiman shrine carrying traditions from the Heian period. This is a walking course where the deeper you stroll, the more of Suginami's old history you encounter.

Key Highlights

• ​Koenji​​: The elevated ground behind the main hall is called "Gotenyama," which is said to derive from the site of a teahouse where Iemitsu stopped and rested during falconry outings. The current main hall was rebuilt in 1954 (Showa 29). The nearby Koenji Hikawa-jinja Shrine was once administered by this temple, which served as its betto (managing temple).
• ​Horinouchi Myoho-ji Temple​​: The Niomon gate from 1787 (Tenmei 7) and the Soshido hall from 1811 (Bunka 8) are both Tangible Cultural Properties designated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The Soshido houses a statue of the founder for warding off evil. Among the rows of wooden structures, what catches the eye is the cast-iron gate built in 1878 (Meiji 11), designed by Josiah Conder, which is an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
• ​Omiya Hachimangu Shrine​​: Enshrining a family of three deities—Emperor Ojin, his father Emperor Chuai, and his mother Empress Jingu—the shrine attracts faith for matchmaking, safe childbirth, child-rearing, and warding off misfortune to invite good fortune. The current shrine grounds cover 15,000 tsubo (approx. 50,000 m²). On either side of the Shinmon gate stand the Meoto Icho (married-couple ginkgo trees), and there is also a sacred tree called the "Tomoiki-no-Ki Tree," where an inuzakura (dog cherry) tree grows parasitically on a kaya (Japanese nutmeg-yew) tree.

Recommended Route and Required Time

The estimated time required is about 4 hours. After browsing vintage clothing shops around Koenji Station, head to Koenji Hikawa-jinja Shrine, a 2-minute walk from the station. Inside its precincts is Kisho Shrine (the weather shrine). Koenji temple is about 170 meters southeast of the shrine. After paying your respects, take a look at Gotenyama behind the main hall.

Walk south from Koenji for about 1.2 kilometers to reach Horinouchi Myoho-ji Temple. It is also a 15-minute walk from Higashi-Koenji Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. Enter through the Niomon gate, visit the Soshido hall, and then stand in front of the iron gate to look up at the phoenix above the door and the boy and girl figures atop the pillars.

About 1.6 kilometers southwest of Horinouchi Myoho-ji Temple is Omiya Hachimangu Shrine. From the First Torii on the Omotesando approach, a stone-paved path of about 250 meters leads to the shrine buildings. The surrounding grounds connect to the Wadabori Park area. For the return journey, it is a 7-minute walk to Nishi-Eifuku Station or a 10-minute walk to Eifukucho Station on the Keio Inokashira Line.

Experience Summary

A town lined with vintage clothing shops, the temple from which the town took its name, a revered founder's hall where wooden buildings stand alongside a Meiji-era iron gate, and a Hachiman shrine wrapped in a spacious forest grove. Walking south from Koenji reveals the origins of Suginami's neighborhoods and the religious devotion of Edo's people. Enjoy shopping and shrine-temple visits at a leisurely pace.