Granite and Tokyo Tour Series 2025 No.5 — Zōjō-ji: The Tokugawa Clan’s Bodaiji
Zōjō-ji Temple — Mausoleums of the Tokugawa Shoguns and the Memory of Stone
Photographed on September 11, 2025.
Under Cloudy Skies, I Visited
At the foot of Tokyo Tower lies Shiba Park, and at its center stands Zōjō-ji, a great head temple (daihonzan) of the Jōdo-shū (Pure Land) school. On a clear day I passed through the Sangedatsumon Gate and proceeded toward the main hall. Beneath the cloudy sky, the stone-paved grounds and lanterns shone, and inside the hall I was enveloped by a solemn atmosphere, spending a quiet moment in reflection.
Historical Background
Founded in the Muromachi period, Zōjō-ji flourished after the establishment of the Edo shogunate under Tokugawa patronage. While the chief head temple (sohonzan) of Jōdo-shū is Chion-in in Kyoto, Zōjō-ji serves as a great head temple (daihonzan) in the Edo–Tokyo region, embodying the spirit of the school locally. Above all, it is renowned as the Tokugawa family’s bodaiji—their clan temple and mausoleum complex.
Faith and Politics
The placement of shogunal tombs was not merely a matter of personal piety. It was part of a broader religious policy that balanced sects and temple power while projecting the shogunate’s authority. The division of burials between Zōjō-ji and Kan’ei-ji (Ueno area) reflects political intentions that shifted with the times.
6 Shoguns Interred at Zōjō-ji
| Shogun | Reign | Age at Death | Burial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Tokugawa Hidetada | 1605–1623 | 54 | Zōjō-ji | Second son of Ieyasu; temperate, administrative; consolidated bakufu institutions. Wife: Go (Sugen-in). |
| 6th Tokugawa Ienobu | 1709–1712 | 51 | Zōjō-ji (Bunshō-in) | Advanced the “Shōtoku reforms”; employed scholar Arai Hakuseki; ill health. |
| 7th Tokugawa Ietsugu | 1713–1716 | 8 | Zōjō-ji (Yūshō-in) | Child shogun; died young after a brief three-year reign. |
| 9th Tokugawa Ieshige | 1745–1760 | 51 | Zōjō-ji | Frail health and speech impediment; governed via trusted retainers. |
| 13th Tokugawa Iesada | 1853–1858 | 34 | Zōjō-ji | Ill health; succession issues added to late-Edo turmoil. |
| 14th Tokugawa Iemochi | 1858–1866 | 20 | Zōjō-ji | Married Imperial Princess Kazunomiya; died young amid Bakumatsu upheaval. |
6 Shoguns Interred at Kan’ei-ji (Ueno area)
| Shogun | Reign | Age at Death | Burial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Tokugawa Iemitsu | 1623–1651 | 48 | Kan’ei-ji | Strengthened bakufu power; institutionalized sankin-kōtai; expanded Nikkō Tōshō-gū. |
| 4th Tokugawa Ietsuna | 1651–1680 | 39 | Kan’ei-ji | Advanced bunji (civil) governance; shift from military rule. |
| 8th Tokugawa Yoshimune | 1716–1745 | 68 | Kan’ei-ji | From Kii domain; “Kyōhō reforms” for frugality and fiscal repair. |
| 10th Tokugawa Ieharu | 1760–1786 | 50 | Kan’ei-ji | Favored Tanuma Okitsugu; promoted commercial policies. |
| 11th Tokugawa Ienari | 1787–1837 | 69 | Kan’ei-ji | Longest reign (50 years); cultural florescence in the Bunka-Bunsei era. |
| 12th Tokugawa Ieyoshi | 1837–1853 | 61 | Kan’ei-ji | Shogun at the time of Commodore Perry’s arrival; faced the opening of Japan. |
Celebrity Lineages and Today’s Interments
Within the grounds are graves of daimyo families and prominent lineages connected to the Tokugawa. Their presence underscores Zōjō-ji’s standing. In the present day, ordinary visitors cannot establish new family graves here; interment is limited to ossuaries/columbaria under temple policy and management.
Visiting the Mausoleums
The Tokugawa mausoleum area at Zōjō-ji is open to the public: visitors may enter and view the interiors upon paying an admission fee, subject to religious services and restoration schedules. Please follow the temple’s latest guidance on hours, access, and photography.
Stonework — What the Granite Tells
The Sangedatsumon gate, along with many tombstones, Jizō statues, and stone lanterns, employ granite. Stone endures for centuries, bearing witness to history. The way edges soften with time, the sheen under sunlight, and the weathering traced by rain and wind—all of it is a quiet record that stone keeps.
Conclusion
Zojoji Temple is the head temple of the Jodo sect of Buddhism and the family temple of the Tokugawa clan. Sectarian traditions, political intentions, and the testament of stones intertwine to form a thick layer of Japanese history. When I visited the temple grounds, I was struck by how intertwined sectarianism, politics, and stones are.
Complete List — All 15 Tokugawa Shoguns
| Shogun | Reign | Age at Death | Burial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Tokugawa Ieyasu | 1603–1605 | 73 | Nikkō Tōshō-gū (Tochigi) | Founder of the Edo shogunate; deified as Tōshō Daigongen. |
| 2nd Tokugawa Hidetada | 1605–1623 | 54 | Zōjō-ji | Stabilized bakufu institutions; temperate administrator. |
| 3rd Tokugawa Iemitsu | 1623–1651 | 48 | Kan’ei-ji | Institutionalized alternate attendance; consolidated shogunal power. |
| 4th Tokugawa Ietsuna | 1651–1680 | 39 | Kan’ei-ji | Advanced civil governance. |
| 5th Tokugawa Tsunayoshi | 1680–1709 | 63 | Zōjō-ji (Jōken-in) | Known for the “Compassion for Living Things” edicts; promoted learning. |
| 6th Tokugawa Ienobu | 1709–1712 | 51 | Zōjō-ji | Shōtoku reforms with Arai Hakuseki. |
| 7th Tokugawa Ietsugu | 1713–1716 | 8 | Zōjō-ji | Child shogun; died young. |
| 8th Tokugawa Yoshimune | 1716–1745 | 68 | Kan’ei-ji | Kyōhō reforms; frugality and fiscal repair. |
| 9th Tokugawa Ieshige | 1745–1760 | 51 | Zōjō-ji | Governed via trusted retainers due to frail health. |
| 10th Tokugawa Ieharu | 1760–1786 | 50 | Kan’ei-ji | Favored Tanuma Okitsugu; commercial policies. |
| 11th Tokugawa Ienari | 1787–1837 | 69 | Kan’ei-ji | Longest reign (50 years); cultural florescence. |
| 12th Tokugawa Ieyoshi | 1837–1853 | 61 | Kan’ei-ji | Faced the Black Ships; crossroads of opening Japan. |
| 13th Tokugawa Iesada | 1853–1858 | 34 | Zōjō-ji | Ill health; succession issues fed late-Edo turmoil. |
| 14th Tokugawa Iemochi | 1858–1866 | 20 | Zōjō-ji | Married Imperial Princess Kazunomiya; died young amid unrest. |
| 15th Tokugawa Yoshinobu | 1867–1868 | 77 | Yanaka Cemetery (Tokyo) | Last shogun; executed Taisei Hōkan and enabled the peaceful surrender of Edo. |
As a final note: it was Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first shogun, who pacified the Warring States and governed the country from Edo (Tokyo). Equally striking is that before and after the Tokugawa regime—and even today—the Imperial House of Japan has continued without interruption for over 2,700 years. That uniqueness deserves its own article someday.