Temple · Seta / Futako-Tamagawa

Tamagawa Daishi Underground Pilgrimage 玉川大師 地下霊場

A modest Shingon temple near Futako-Tamagawa that hides a 100 m pitch-black tunnel five metres underground. You walk it with one hand on the wall, past about 300 Buddhist statues, on what is meant to be a miniature version of the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage and of the Saigoku 33 Kannon route in the Kansai region.

About

From the street Tamagawa Daishi looks like any neighbourhood temple in residential Seta, which is why so few visitors find it. Under the main hall, a concrete passage completed in 1934 runs about 100 metres. It is designed to represent the body of Dainichi Nyorai, so walking it is meant to feel like passing through the Buddha himself. The first stretch is completely dark, and you keep your left hand on the wall to find your way. Then the passage opens into dimly lit alcoves holding hundreds of stone and wooden figures of Kobo Daishi and Kannon, one for each temple on the Shikoku and Saigoku pilgrimages. Locals call the walk "Tokyo's 15-minute Shikoku Henro". It is calm and a little eerie, and the hidden basement under an ordinary suburban street makes it one of Setagaya's odder discoveries.

Highlights

• A 100 m underground passage about 5 m below the main hall, built to represent the body of Dainichi Nyorai
• A stretch of total darkness walked by touch, before the lit statue alcoves
• Around 300 statues standing in for all 88 Shikoku and 33 Saigoku pilgrimage temples
• A pilgrimage circuit you finish in about 15 minutes, in the middle of a Setagaya neighbourhood
• A quiet temple garden above ground, a short walk from the Tama River

Tips

• Ask at the temple office to the right of the main hall, then go down the stairs by the hall. Leave a small offering for entry.
• Photography is not allowed underground. Walk slowly and keep your left hand on the wall in the dark section.
• Combine with a stroll down to the Tama River embankment or the shops of Futako-Tamagawa.
• Go on a weekday afternoon, when you may have the tunnel almost to yourself.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Futako Tamagawa Rise Rooftop GardenPhoto Spot · 730 m away
• Coin Lockers · Futako-tamagawa StationLuggage Storage · 810 m away
• Hyogojima Park (Futako-Tamagawa Riverside)Beach & Waterfront · 830 m away
• Gotoh MuseumMuseum · 1.0 km away
• Sairaiken (Yoga)Ramen & Noodles · 1.3 km away
• Futako Tamagawa ParkPark · 1.4 km away
• Kinuta ParkPark · 1.4 km away
• Baji Koen Equestrian ParkPark · 2.1 km away