By maxinpower on Skatehive
No, today we're not talking about elephants, because except for those in the zoo, you won't find any in Tokyo or the rest of Japan. Instead, we're checking on a temple that I discovered on my last visit to the Japanese capital. We were in the Koto district, very close to Monzen-Nakacho station, and had just visited Tomioka Shrine. Our next destination was Fukagawa Fudō-dō Temple, famous for its fiery sermons, and on the way there we passed this elephant statue. In fact, there was once an elephant in Tokyo, more precisely during the Edo period. It was a gift from a Vietnamese royal family in the 18th century and arrived in the country via Nagasaki. On its way, it is said to have passed through Koto, which is commemorated by this small but beautiful statue. I imagine it must have been quite a sight to see this majestic animal being led through the narrow streets of Edo. But the story of the elephant serves only as an introduction, because my attention was drawn to the other side of the s