Miyanosaka
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To the east of Miyanosaka Station is Gotoku-ji Temple and to the west is Setagaya Hachimangu Shrine. Right in front of the station, a tramcar painted in classic green sits alongside the platform.It was once provided by Tokyu Corporation to the Enoshima Electric Railway (Enoden) but later returned. It is now preserved here. The car is open between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The surrounding neighborhood is another that gives a sense of Setagaya’s history.
This tramcar once ran on the Setagaya Line. It was retired after 65 years of service and is now displayed at the Miyasaka Kumin Center. Nicknamed “Tamaden,” it was repaired and repainted and currently serves as a recreation area for the community.
Address: 1-24-7 Miyasaka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo (next to Miyanosaka Station)
It is said that this temple was established by Kira Masatada, the lord of Setagaya Castle, in 1480. The manekineko (beckoning cat) is celebrated here as a lucky charm. This comes from a legend that says that Ii Naotaka, the second daimyo of Hikone, escaped a thunderstorm when a cat at Gotoku-ji beckoned him into the temple with its paw. In the southwest section of the temple’s grounds is the grave of the Ii family. It is designated a national historic site together with the Ii family grave at Seiryo-ji Temple in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture.
Address: 2-24-7 Gotokuji, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Temple gates are open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from spring to autumn and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from autumn to spring.
Access: Three-minute walk from Miyanosaka Station
This shrine located near the side of Miyanosaka Station with the old Tamagawa Line tramcar is affectionately known as “Miyanosaka Hachiman-sama.” Said to have been established in the late Heian period (794-1185), it enshrines the spirits of three historical figures as deities: Emperor Ojin, Emperor Chuai, and Empress Jingu. It is believed that prayers for victory, good luck, traffic safety, and easy childbirth are answered there. There is a sumo wrestling ring on the grounds, and ritual matches held there each autumn attract lively crowds.
Address: 2-14-1 Gotokuji, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Access: One-minute walk from Miyanosaka Station
This is the only historical park in Setagaya City that has been designated a cultural property by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. It is also on the list of the “hundred best views of Setagaya.” It is said that Setagaya Castle was built by the Kira clan during the Nanboku-cho period (1336 to 1392). It then prospered for more than 210 years as the residence of eight generations of the Kira clan. The castle was one of the settings of a story about Princess Tokiwa, who was a concubine of the Kira clan. This story is told as a legend named after the sagiso (fringed orchid) that is Setagaya’s official flower.
Address: 2-14-1 Gotokuji, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Access: Four-minute walk from Miyanosaka Station