Nanzo-in (Nanzoin) Temple Tokyo – The “tied-up” statue

Some links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you purchase something through my links I may make a small commission at no extra charge to you. See my disclaimer.

Not to be confused with the famous Nanzoin temple located in Fukuoka, instead, this is a small shrine that houses the deity Jizo. In a quiet Tokyo neighbourhood, this shrine is the perfect place to visit when you want to make some peaceful prayers to rid negativity from your life and instead welcome positive warmth.

The architecture of the Nanzoin shrine and buildings on the grounds are typical of what you’d expect in a Japanese Buddhist Temple, except they hold a secret statue that is a little different to other deities you can pray to as this one, is tied up in hundreds of thin ropes.

When you’re trying to visit unique temples in Tokyo, this is one shrine that should be included as there are no others quite like it in the city.

So, let’s get into it, and see what all the fuss is about below.

Country:	Japan
Currency:	Japanese Yen / JPY
Do you need a visa to visit as tourists?	Check here

Don’t forget to get travel insurance to cover you if something bad happens. One company I have personal experience with is Safety Wing. Not everyone needs the same coverage, so make sure you get a personalised quote that suits you and your trip plans.

Want to check out some other unique shines in Tokyo? See this list.

---

How to get to the Tokyo Nanzoin Temple

Location: 2 Chome-28-25 Higashimizumoto, Katsushika City, Tokyo 125-0033

The Nanzoin Shrine in Tokyo is located in Katsushika City in a quiet neighbourhood. Usually, I don’t recommend driving around Tokyo, but this temple is far enough into a quiet neighbourhood and away from subway stops that it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to rent a car. If you do choose to drive, there are 6 car parking spaces outside.

Unlike many of the other attractions in Tokyo that have subway stations nearby, the subway stations in this area are almost a 20-minute walk away.

For example:

• Kanamachi Station (C, Green, Chiyoda Line) is an 18-minute walk from the shrine. There are, however, a lot of bus stops local to the Nanzoin shrine which make it easy to reach.

Luckily, to make up for the lack of subways in the area, there are multiple bus stops you can travel to that get you much closer to Tokyo’s Nanzoin temple.

---

If you’re planning to take public transport, don’t forget to get yourself a Suica card. Suica cards are essentially transportation cards that make travelling around Tokyo much easier. Simply order your card, ready for your arrival at Haneda airport, top it up with cash and then tap the card on the scanners at the start and end of each individual journey.

This way, you’ll be able to track your travel budget while not needing to stress about carrying exact change.

You can order your own Suica travel card using my link: Welcome Suica

Opening Times & Admission of Nanzoin Temple

The temple is open from 9 am until 4 pm, 7 days a week. This means that you can visit at any time during these hours and will have no issues entering the property.

There is no cost to enter the shrine so you can add this to an itinerary without needing to purchase a ticket. The only time you would require money while visiting this shrine is if you want to make a prayer and use one of the ropes to tie around the statue (more on this below).

Check out some other fun temples in Tokyo:

• Kanda Myoujin Shrine: Where Anime writer’s pray for success
• Perfect Temple for Cat Lover’s, Gotokuji (Gotoku-ji) Tokyo, Japan
• Visiting the Fox Shrine in Tokyo – (Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Annex)

What to expect at the Shrine

Since the temple grounds are quite small, you can reach the main shrine almost instantly. One of the main attractions in the Nanzoin shrine is the “Tied-up Saint” known by locals as Shibarare Jizo. He is the God that resides within the temple and many people come here to pray to him specifically.

People who come to the Nanzoin Shrine can pray for a number of different things including warding off bad characters, banishing crimes such as theft, keeping evil spirits and bad yokai away and on a more positive note, asking for help in finding a marriage.

For those hoping to make a prayer or a wish, you’ll first need to put 100 JPY (0.50 GBP) in the silver box directly in front of the Jizo. This is the same as giving an offering before beginning. Once you have put your yen in the box, you can then retrieve a rope from the wooden stand on your right.

---

When you need to transfer money or check exchange rates during your overseas trip, consider using Wise. They have competitive rates and make exchanging foreign funds easy. I’ve been using them since 2015.

You will then start to tie the rope around the Shibarare Jizo while speaking your prayer to the resident God. Make sure your rope is securely fastened so it cannot come undone without some effort.

The general idea of making a prayer in this way is that you should be able to return to Nanzoin Temple once your prayer has come true, and in turn, remove one of the ropes from the statue to place in the large pot to the left of the statue.

Seeing so many ropes that have previously been removed in this way really gives hope to the visitors of this deity and encourages more people to pray to the Jizo during their time here.

History of the Nanzoin Shrine

So we know Shibarare Jizo lives here, but what is the history of him residing in the temple?

Many many years ago, a worker located on the grounds of the temple fell asleep and woke up to find his work cart filled with cloths had been stolen. The local judge who was informed of the crime decided to tie up a Jizo statue and drag it around the local area letting onlookers know that anyone who saw the thieves but stayed silent is secretly guilty of committing the same crime.

This caused an influx of onlookers to head out to the office of the judge to find out if they were going to be punished due to the Jizo.

The judge informed them that the punishment would be too harsh to inflict on the world so instead imposed a piece of cloth. That very same day, pieces of cloth started to appear outside the judge’s office which, when inspected by the worker who had his cart stolen, he recognised that they were in fact the cloths that were once his.

This allowed him to track down the thieves and protect his cart from being stolen again. After all of the excitement, the tradition of tying ropes around the Jizo statues when making prayers became common practice and especially removing the rope once their wish was granted. This has remained a tradition since the Edo period and will likely continue on for those who believe in the Jizo’s spiritual powers.

Visiting on New Year’s Eve – The most precious day

Although the Nanzoin temple shrine is open all year round, one period of the year is especially busy, and many more people arrive to enjoy the festivities. Around New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, some of the monks sell Daruma dolls on the property.

These dolls sell out very quickly and are one of the prime reasons people visit during this period each year.

Along with these festive dolls, the temple bell will be heard ringing a lot throughout the grounds which is usually not heard many other times throughout the year.

Amenities & Extras at Nanzoin

Since many people don’t like to travel all this way to this quiet neighbourhood for just one quick prayer, there are a few other things you can enjoy while visiting the shrine. There is a small concrete statue of a cow which visitors believe gives you good luck – if you quickly straddle the cow.

There are also a few monks including the head monk that you’ll often find in the shrine office and walking around the grounds. They can often write on the Goshuin stamps for you for 300 JPY (1.52 GBP). This is a great souvenir for those visiting a lot of shrines, to serve as memories for each one.

Have you visited the Nanzoin Shrine in Tokyo yet? What did you think?