Todoroki Fudōson is a sanctuary that has long been overseen by Mangan-ji Temple opposite the station. This main gate was once at Mangan-ji, but was moved here during the Edo Period. The presence of past visitors, each with their own desires, seems to linger when you stand here.

Todoroki Fudōson began with one monk’s quiet determination.

That monk was none other than the great Kakuban, the progenitor of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. One night, the wise god Acalanātha, known in Japanese as Fudō Myōō, appeared to him in a dream.

“In Musashino there is a special place,” said the god. “Go there, and help many people.” In that dream, a child danced near a misty water spring. The sound of ringing bells ascended to the sky, and at the heart of this illusion stood Fudō Myōō, clad in sword and fire, quietly holding a rope.

Kakuban placed his faith in that dream and, carrying a statue of Fudō Myōō on his back, journeyed from Nara to Kanto.

At the end of his perilous journey he arrived at a quiet valley amidst mountains wreathed in clouds – the same vista as in his dream. He struck the rock with his staff, causing water to gush forth and fill the valley with the roaring of waterfalls. He realized then this was a holy place, and enshrined Fudō Myōō. This is how Todoroki Fudōson began.

What kind of scene comes to mind when you hear this story?

Recall your own hopes and dreams and step through the gate. Let the vista in your heart meld with reality, for it will lead you to what you seek most.