Jindaiji Temple

We visited Jindaiji Temple for Hatsumode on a weekday, and were pleasantly surprised by how calm and uncrowded it felt. While many shrines and temples in Tokyo become overwhelmingly busy during the New Year period, Jindaiji offered a much more relaxed and local atmosphere. The temple grounds are decently sized and easy to explore, surrounded by greenery that makes it feel far removed from the city despite being in Tokyo. There’s a strong neighborhood vibe here, with visitors strolling at an unhurried pace and families quietly paying their respects. One of Jindaiji’s highlights is the area around the temple, which is famous for its soba shops. Many long-established restaurants serve handmade soba, making it a great place to enjoy a warm meal after your visit. If you’re looking for a peaceful Hatsumode experience without the crowds, Jindaiji Temple is a wonderful choice. It combines tradition, food, and a welcoming local feel—perfect for starting the year on a calm and reflective note.

One of my fave places in Japan. Second time here. The soba is seriously good and everyone is so nice. Tons of keepsakes and the vibe is just so peaceful. Spread my ashes here when am gone

Lovely temple located in a quiet neighbourhood. There's a path you can walk which brings you to the Botanic Garden. The temple is not that big but there are many points of interests to check out, look at the map. Don't miss out on the dango and soba (their specialty which you don't wanna miss).

Wonderful temple. It shows the old traditional side of Japan. It’s a hidden gem ! There are also good udon restaurants around the temple, but they close pretty early.

I came to area to visit temple and look at flowers in the botanical garden. I went on Monday which was a poor idea as the botanical garden rests on Monday. But for the temple, it was fully open with lots to see. In the back was shrine with ceremonies commencing, lots of flowers and trees were in full bloom, and the entrance to the temple was filled with lots of stores selling tasty snacks like shaved ice, and fried mochi. The temple was quite nice and quiet, a great place to relax and enjoy nature. Next time I will have to visit on a Tuesday or Thursday in order to visit the garden. Next time

Such a beautiful and historically significant Temple. The grounds are so beautiful with the botanical garden being adjacent. There's also good food that is both delicious and affordable out around the area. There are free maps with historical information for those who are interested.

Great temple and the surrounding area of restaurants, shops and scenery. Fantastic place to visit for each seasons and different occasions. Soba is famous here and there are many places to chose from. Highly recommended to visit here.

A quiet temple with a few famous soba restaurant surrounded. Red spider lily can be found there in mid September.

If you are a tourist, don't have enough time and/or money to go to Kyoto but still want to see some historic or cultural thing, make an effort to be here instead of Sensoji. This place is far more old school, genuine and authentic as far as temple/shrine town.(Just like Dean F stated in his review). There aren't that much to see in the temple compound, but the surroundings are worthy to trek around. There are many soba restaurants, treats shops, souvenir shops and even onsen(hot spring) near by. Whole atmosphere is quintessentially "Edo" style(1600-1800). This is definitely better than Sensoji for sure. It's 15-20 bus ride from either Chofu or Kichijoji station. Think about it!

Want to experience a bit of Kyoto in Tokyo without traveling 3+ hours on the Shinkansen? Jindaiji is one of the oldest and most famous temples in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area that is a must see on your list. It's a great experience whether you are a tourist or long-time resident. Unlike other temples, the setting is completely natural and as is was from its beginnings hundreds of years ago. The temple sits on a very large plot of land, so give yourself a few hours to explore all it has to offer. So what's to see? Aside from the impressive main temple and surrounding buildings, there is a main shopping street featuring Jindaiji soba (famous Japanese noodles made by hand in many of the shops), traditional Japanese sweets and another icon of Jindaiji, daruma good luck charms. There is an annual festival dedicated to the daruma gods, and here you'll see a wide variety of sizes and styles offered for sale. You can read more about what these drama are and how to use them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daruma_doll Buy one to take home and make a wish. Your daruma gets "full vision" when your wish is realized (see link). There is also a dedicated shop for the Ge-Ge-Ge-no-Kitaro Japanese comic series, and the characters are featured here in the architecture, cafe menu and all the character souvenirs you could image. See the photos for more details. One other feature: Near the southwest entrance along the main road, there is a crafts market held almost every weekend. Artists from around the area come to display and sell their wares ranging from jewelry, leather goods, traditional pottery and more. Overall, I really enjoy the setting of Jindaiji - its a perfect blend of nature, traditional Japanese architecture, lively businesses and history. There's enough variety to experience the feeling of Kyoto in a much more compact area. Viewing the scenery over the changing seasons adds to the appreciation of how Japanese felt about harmonizing with nature in a traditional sense. Fall colors are brilliant, spring cherry blossoms are beautiful; visiting during each season is highly recommended. Speaking of area, there are many more sights to see along the main street: More soba restaurants, art galleries, a historical waterwheel; up the hill is a pet cemetery, Jindai Botanical Gardens; and down the hill towards Chofu there is an extension of the botanical gardens (very nice!) and a natural hot spring bath called Yumori no Sato (湯守の里), formerly known as Jindaiji Onsen Yukari. (See other respective Yelp spots.) Great for a day trip outside of downtown Tokyo. It's about thirty minutes west of Shinjuku on the Keio line; about forty minutes if you take the JR Chuo line + bus from Kichijoji or Mitaka stations.

A very spacious and accessible shrine near Tokyo. We walked from Chofu station to enjoy the fresh sunny day. Entry to the shrine is free. There are lines of little traditional shop stands. Several places to eat soba hot or cold. There is a botanical garden but we decided 500 yen was a bit pricy to see dead winter foliage. We'll come back in spring, haha. :) Definitely a nice place for tourists or locals who have already done all the big famous places.