Fukagawa Fudo Temple | A Buddhist temple where the monks perform a fire ritual to give strength to the god of justice, a menacing, protective deity.

The experience of Fukagawa Fudo Temple is more interesting and authentic than the well-known temples in Tokyo. Avoid the touristy crowds and experience a trance-inducing Esoteric Buddhist fire ritual.

Getting to Fukagawa Fudo temple

Walk through a red temple gate off a busy city street, down a narrow pedestrian street with cafes and shops on either side and eventually come upon a big black electronic sign with red words that list the times of the fire ceremony that Fukagawa Fugo temple is known for.

It’s not like most Buddhist temples I’ve seen in Asia. It’s not particularly peaceful - a lot of concrete, not many trees, no golden statues or brightly colored temple roofs, lots of people walking through on their way to work. It’s a neighborhood temple.

But people don’t come to Fukagawa Fudo Temple for the outside aesthetics; it’s all about the Goma, an Esoteric Buddhist fire ritual performed to empower Fudōmyō-ō, the god of justice.

The ritual is performed to destroy negative energies, detrimental thoughts and desires, to make wishes and give blessings. It’s believed that the fire replenishes Fudōmyō-ō’s power to burn away all the problems that get in the way of his follower’s path to enlightenment.

To see the fire ritual, take off your shoes, enter the main hall, and grab a seat with a view of the Goma alter. Up above, right in the middle of the ceiling, a golden adorned vent with hanging golden leaves hangs like a gaudy chandelier. Directly below is the sacred fire pit where wooden sticks and incense are burned during the ceremony.

Let the ceremony begin

The first thing you hear is the beating of small, handheld taiko drums and the blowing of conch shells by monks as they walk into the altar area single file. One monk in white sits before the sacred fire pit while the other six in grey take a seat on some pillows on the floor.

Then the chanting begins. In perfect unison, the monks recite Buddhist mantras playing the drums and conch shells every now and then. The main priest lights the altar and the flames grow higher. One priest takes his stance in front of a huge taiko drum, mid-chant, and with all his strength pounds the drum to the rhythm.

It’s soul shaking, shocking, it reverberates through the hall. I can feel the shaking from my feet all the way up.

The fire ceremony involves burning incense sticks in the fire and blessing personal belongings in the flames. It’s believed to have a powerful cleansing effect, spiritually and psychologically. At the end of the ceremony, people hand their purse or wallet to one of the monks and he holds it over the fire pit, inches over the flame. I wonder how many times a strap or wallet has fallen in.

The combination of the lack of air conditioning on a hot July day, the indoor fire, melodic chanting and rhythmic drum beats put me in a trance. I actually started nodding off a few times, only to be brought back by the powerful drumming. This doesn’t mean I was bored, no, quite the opposite. I was transfixed.

The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes and is worth every one of them. I’ve seen traditional Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto ceremonies, but the one at Fukagawa Fudo is like no other. The Goma is beyond unique.

How to see the ceremony

See the Goma ritual everyday at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00.

Every month on the 1st, 15th and 28th there is also a ceremony at 19:00.

After the ceremony, explore the rest of the main hall

Up some stairs next to the ceremony area, there is a room of rows and rows and rows of wooden, hand-carved statues of Fudōmyō-ō, the god of justice for whom the ceremony is performed. He’s portrayed sitting cross-legged with a sword, an intense, menacing scowl on his face and flames shooting up from behind.

Next to the room full of wooden gods, is a trippy prayer corridor with 10,000 miniature Fudōmyō crystal statues lining the walls. A giant prayer bead runs the entire hallway - rub it as you walk through and make a wish.