Togenuki Jizoson Koganji Temple, Tokyo - Japan

Opened in 1596, and relocated to its present site in 1891, this historic Buddhist temple is located in Toshima City, Tokyo. The Koganji Temple belongs to the Soto Zen sect of Buddhism, which dates back to the late 19th century. It is famously known for Togenuki Jizo, which promises healing powers for all who come. Legend holds that a samurai’s wife grew very ill and, in a dream, he was shown that the cure lay in drawing 10,000 pictures. The ritual was then repeated with similar success on a servant who mistakenly drank a thorn, but this time his picture was put into water. Togenuki Jizo loosely means ‘Buddha and thorn removal’, and it is thought that the water which flows opposite his statue can give healing powers to those who pour it on any ailment.