Togenuki-Zizou (Kougan-Ji Temple) / Sugamo Toshima-ward

Sunday morning, Shige and Lee went for a walk to Sugamo, the northwestern area of Tokyo. It takes about 20 minutes on foot from Shige's condo. Sugamo is very famous for "Togenuki-Zizou"(Kougan-Ji temple(photo Upper)) and this area has been called "Granny's Harajuku" because lots of grannies are coming shoping and walking around there every weekend.

"Zizou" is one of the most popular Buddha, who has been believed to protect people's life. Togenuki-Zizou" here is said that it can heal/cure the human diseases. Actually, the statue of “Togenuki-Zizou” is kept inside the Temple and we can’t see that. Instead of that, there is a Buddha statue outside the temple building(photo Center). That Buddha statue is called “Arai Kan-non” (Washing Kan-non) and that is believed to cure the human diseases, too (Kan-non is also one of the Buddha believed to save peopele). People who suffered from knee dysfunction wash the statue's knee. People who suffered from back-pain wash the statue's lumbar, like that. In earlier days, the statue was washed with brush, but recently it is washed with towel because of abrasion.

There were some grannies there although it was early, before 7AM. They were washing the statue with towel(photo Lower) . We weren't brave enough to join the grannies, but I think I should have joined and washed the head of the statue.