Bentendo Temple

Before you stands Bentendo Temple, set at the heart of Shinobazu Pond. Built in the early 17th century, at the outset of the Edo period, this temple is dedicated to Benzaiten, also known as Benten—the Buddhist goddess of wealth, joy, wisdom, and music. Its location is no coincidence, as she is the divine embodiment of the sacred river, and temples dedicated to Benten are always found next to water. In the temple’s name, you’ll notice the suffix “dō”, commonly used to represent Buddhist temples. On the other hand, “den” often refers to Shinto shrines, associated with Shintoism, Japan’s ancient religion. It may sound simple, but know that not all temples follow this naming convention, so it’s not always an easy guess. To avoid this mistake, let’s take a moment to understand these two faiths that shape Japan’s spiritual landscape. Shintoism is Japan’s original and traditional religion, also known as Shinto and practiced by over 65 million of Japanese. As for Buddhism it originated in India; passed through China and Korea before  reaching Japan in the 6th century. Today, there are nearly 80 million of followers in Japan, yet these numbers overlap as a large part of the population now practices both Shintoism and Buddhism. If you’re wondering why, that’s because these two ancient religions have blended over time, mixing customs, rituals, and sacred spaces. Now you understand why some monuments are called temples for the Buddhists, and others are named shrines for the Shintoists. Now, back to Benten-do! The temple in front of you once belonged to a grand Buddhist complex—spanning over 10 hectares and 30 buildings— none other than Toeizan Kan’eiji, one of the wealthiest and most prestigious religious sites in the city. The man behind its construction is Tenkai, a Buddhist monk in the 17th century, who also oversaw the creation of the artificial island on which this temple rests, right in the middle of the pond. What you see before you is, sadly, not the original building, as it was destroyed during the bombings of 1945. However, it’s still a faithful reconstruction of this historical treasure.