Kawasaki Daishi Heiken-ji Temple

It is read as "Kawasaki Daishi Heiken-ji." Kawasaki Daishi suffered great damage in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 (Taisho 12), and although it was once restored from that, it was completely burned down during the Kawasaki Air Raid of World War II (on the night of April 15, 1945, Showa 20).
The current temple complex is significant when one considers that it is a reconstruction from such a devastated state.
The person responsible for the architectural design of that reconstruction was Minoru Ooka (1900–1987). This person's name also comes up in relation to the Senso-ji Temple Main Hall (1954) or the Zojo-ji Temple Main Hall (1973). However, in terms of the development of the Kawasaki Daishi temple complex, he was involved in almost all of it over a long period, so perhaps the entire Kawasaki Daishi is a work of Mr. Ooka. It is also said that after Ooka reached an advanced age, his assistant, Koji Matsuoka, played a major role. Construction has consistently been handled by Obayashi Corporation.
Great Main Hall: Completed in May 1964 (Showa 39); Minoru Ooka, Miho Tajima
Great Main Gate: Completed in November 1987 (Showa 52); Minoru Ooka, Koji Matsuoka
Octagonal Five-Story Pagoda: Completed in 1984 (Showa 59); Minoru Ooka, Koji Matsuoka; Height 31.5m
Yakushi Hall: Opened in November 2008 (Heisei 20)
By the way, in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kawasaki Daishi is known, along with Naritasan Shinsho-ji Temple and Meiji Jingu Shrine, as a place visited by many people for their first shrine/temple visit of the New Year (hatsumode). However, during hatsumode, there are so many people that you probably cannot take a leisurely stroll through the grounds to look at the buildings. In that sense, I would like to suggest visiting once to avoid the crowds of hatsumode. If you combine it with the nearby Daishi Park, you can spend a relaxing half-day.
According to temple legend, a samurai named Kanenori Hirama, who had settled in this area after wandering through various provinces, followed the words of a high priest who appeared in his dream, went out to the sea, and cast a net, pulling up a wooden statue of Kobo Daishi (the Yakuyoke Kobo Daishi statue). While he was carefully memorializing this, Sonken Shonin of Mount Koya stopped by, was moved by this story, and together with Kanenori, founded Heiken-ji Temple in 1128. The principal image of this temple is this Yakuyoke Kobo Daishi statue. Among the Shingon sect, it is one of the three major head temples in the Kanto region, along with Naritasan Shinsho-ji Temple and Takao-san Yakuo-in Temple.
However, as mentioned, the Main Hall (built in 1834) and other buildings were lost in the Kawasaki Air Raid in the early hours of April 15, 1945, and all current buildings date from the 1960s or later. The Great Main Hall, as also mentioned, was rebuilt in 1964.
Access is about a 10-minute walk from Keikyu Kawasaki-Daishi Station. Entering from the front is actually a bit of a detour (if you see the pagoda of Seijokoin Temple, it is much closer to follow the wall and enter from the West Gedatsu-mon Gate). However, to admire the magnificent Great Main Gate, I recommend starting from the front even if it is a detour. The four sides of the Great Main Gate house impressive statues of the Four Heavenly Kings (replicas of the Four Heavenly Kings at To-ji Temple in Kyoto). And what you see behind the Great Main Gate is the Great Main Hall. Inside the Great Main Hall, you can observe the Goma fire ritual every day.
Visible to the left of the Great Main Gate is the Octagonal Five-Story Pagoda. It is very beautiful. The gate near it is a wooden gate called the Fudo-mon Gate. It was relocated to this site from a related location in 1948 (Showa 23) after the war, and was used as the main gate until the Great Main Gate was built; it is considered a gate that symbolizes the post-war reconstruction of Kawasaki Daishi.
Across the "Yasuragi Bridge" over the "Tsuru no Ike" (Crane Pond) near this Fudo-mon Gate, there is a golden seated statue of Shakyamuni Buddha (erected in 1977/Showa 52). If you go further back, there is a "Yasuragi Plaza" equipped with a "parking lot." There is also an Indian-style "Yakushi Hall" (opened in November 2008/Heisei 20).
Looking at it this way, although there are no old buildings, the various buildings and designs that have been created over time are quite attractive.
Architectural Historian Minoru Ooka's Architecture Architectural Institute of Japan
Access: From Keikyu Kawasaki, take the Keikyu Daishi Line and get off at Kawasaki-Daishi South Exit. 10-minute walk. Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture.