4K Japan Walking Tour: Sojiji Temple & Tsurumi Yokohama | Historic Zen Temple (82 Min)

This time, I walked from Higashi-Terao in Tsurumi Ward to Tsurumi Station—82 minutes through residential neighborhoods, historic shrines, and Sojiji Temple, one of Japan's major Zen temples. HIGASHI-TERAO & TSURUMI WARD The walk begins in Higashi-Terao, a residential area in Tsurumi Ward, Yokohama. Tsurumi developed as an industrial area in the early 20th century with port facilities and factories along the coast. The inland residential areas like Higashi-Terao sit on hilly terrain above the industrial coastal zone. SHIRAHATA SHRINE Shirahata Shrine sits in a residential neighborhood. The shrine serves the local community with traditional shrine architecture and grounds. Local residents visit for seasonal festivals, New Year worship, and general shrine visits. KOSHIN-ZUKA (STONE MILESTONE) The route passes a Koshin-zuka—a stone monument from the Edo period. "Koshin" refers to a folk religion belief where people gathered on certain nights to stay awake and prevent misfortune. These stone markers were placed along roads, serving both as religious sites and route markers. The Koshin-zuka along this route is several centuries old, preserved even as the area developed into modern residential neighborhoods. IRIEGAWA SESERAGI RYOKUDO Iriegawa Seseragi Ryokudo is a pedestrian path built along the former Irie River (now underground). "Seseragi" means "babbling stream" and "ryokudo" means "green path"—the path has trees and greenery creating a walking corridor through the residential area. Locals use the path for walking and cycling, providing green space in built-up neighborhoods. SUIDOMICHI-DORI & NITANDA-ZAKA Suidomichi-dori is a major road through the area. "Suidomichi" refers to the water supply route historically running through here. Nitanda-zaka is a steep slope. "Zaka" or "saka" means slope—these named slopes are common in hilly Tokyo and Yokohama areas. Walking down Nitanda-zaka shows the elevation changes in Tsurumi—the area sits on varied terrain with significant slopes between different elevations. SOJIJI TEMPLE Sojiji is one of the two head temples of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in Japan (along with Eiheiji in Fukui). The temple was originally founded in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1321 but relocated to Tsurumi in 1907 after a major fire destroyed the original site. The temple grounds are extensive—over 50 structures including the main hall, Buddha hall, monks' quarters, gates, and auxiliary buildings spread across a large compound. The architecture follows traditional Zen temple design with massive wooden structures, tile roofs, and careful spatial arrangement. Walking through Sojiji means moving through this large temple complex—passing under impressive gates, seeing the main worship halls, walking paths between buildings, experiencing the scale of a major Buddhist institution. The temple functions as both a religious center (training monks, holding ceremonies) and a tourist/cultural site. The grounds are quiet during regular hours—visitors walking the paths, people praying at halls, the occasional monk moving between buildings. The temple attracts both religious visitors and people interested in traditional architecture and Zen culture. ALONG THE RAILWAY TRACKS TO TSURUMI STATION After leaving Sojiji, the walk follows paths alongside railway tracks heading toward Tsurumi Station. The area shows more urban development—apartments, shops, the infrastructure approaching a major station. TSURUMI STATION & INDUSTRIAL TSURUMI Tsurumi Station serves the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line and other routes, functioning as a major hub for Tsurumi Ward. The area around the station has commercial development—shops, restaurants, hotels serving both local residents and workers in Tsurumi's industrial areas. Tsurumi's coastal areas have major industrial facilities including oil refineries, chemical plants, and port operations. The ward functions as an industrial zone for the greater Yokohama-Tokyo area. Walking from the residential hills through Sojiji to the station shows the transition from quiet neighborhoods through the temple grounds to the busier urban area near industrial Tsurumi. WHY WALK HIGASHI-TERAO TO TSURUMI This route combines residential Yokohama hills, historic markers (Koshin-zuka stone monument), and Sojiji—one of Japan's most important Zen temples. The 82 minutes covers the varied character of Tsurumi from hilly residential areas to the extensive temple grounds to the station serving industrial Yokohama. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 — Higashi-Terao, Yokohama(Start of Walking Tour) 00:06:37 — Shirahata Shrine 00:18:43 — Koshin-zuka (historic stone) 00:22:12 — Iriegawa Seseragi Ryokudo (greenway) 00:28:50 — Suidomichi-dori 00:40:00 — Nitanda-zaka (steep slope) 00:54:50 — Sojiji Temple grounds 01:16:17 — Along railway tracks 01:22:00 — Tsurumi Station West Exit 🔔 Subscribe for more Yokohama and Tokyo walking tours 👍 Like if Sojiji Temple's grounds and Tsurumi's hills showed you a different side of Yokohama