Tennōji Temple

Tennōji Temple is marked by a large, seated bronze Buddha statue that sits prominently in the courtyard. Established in twelve seventy-four, this Buddhist site rests on the edge of the historic Yanaka Cemetery in Taito. During the Edo period, the temple gained significant public attention as one of only three sites in the city permitted by the government to host official lotteries. Townsfolk once gathered here in large numbers, hoping to win the prizes that funded the temple’s operations for over a century.