Discovering the Attractive Qualities of Shinagawa!

Oi area

Let’s Experience the History of Shinagawa!

The Oi area has a lot of fun spots to enjoy, from the area around the Shinagawa City Office to the seaside, including places rich in historical atmosphere and oases that offer a sense of the season. Why not take a leisurely stroll while enjoying the flowers of spring?

Yogyokuin Nyoraiji Temple

If you walk along the railway tracks from Nishi-oi Station for about seven or eight minutes, you will see a stone sign that says “Great Statue of Buddha—Nyoraiji Temple” and the enormous gate of Yogyokuin Temple (Nyoraiji Temple). If you go up the slope on the right, you will see the bright red Nyorai (meaning Dhyani Buddhas) Temple in front and a large framed sign that says, “Zuio-den Hall.” Buddhist statues built in the Edo Period (1603–1868) are enshrined here. These five magnificent nyorai statues called “the great Buddhas of Oi,” standing about three meters tall, are quite breathtaking.
In the spring, the cherry blossoms within the property bloom to the delight of all who visit the temple. On August 13, the beginning of the obon season, about a thousand lanterns are lit as an offering to the Great Buddha, giving the temple grounds an ethereal atmosphere.
Location: 5-22-25 Nishi-Oi
Nyorai statue viewing hours: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Shinagawa Hanakaido

If you walk from Tachiaigawa Station toward the expressway for about five minutes, you will reach Katsushima Canal. More than ten years have passed since this city project began to revitalize the canal’s banks, creating an oasis through the activities of local residents. Residents and local elementary schoolchildren planted flower seeds along the banks, and the grounds are now carpeted with canola flower blossoms in the spring and cosmos in autumn. Everyone loves this local oasis, with people walking their dogs or observing wild birds. You can also enjoy cherry blossoms in the spring.
Location: 2-chome Higashi-Oi

Omori Shell Mounds Park

In 1877, Dr. Edward Sylvester Morse, an American zoologist, discovered and excavated this area, which was later developed into Omori Shell Mounds Park. The area is considered the birthplace of Japanese archaeology, and this famous location appears in Japanese textbooks. To commemorate the achievement of its discoverer, there is a bust of Dr. Morse. An exhibition facility displays the shell mound excavated there, and also features a space where you can learn about the ancient Jomon Period of Japan. The park can be used for educational purposes and also serves as an oasis for community residents.
Location: 6-21 Oi
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (until 6:00 p.m. in July and August, and until 4:00 p.m. from November through February)

Shinagawa Historical Museum

Shinagawa Historical Museum is intent on preserving and using city history reference materials and enhancing the culture of city residents. Permanent exhibits feature the Omori shell mounds and Shinagawa-shuku on the Tokaido Road. You can also learn about the history of Shinagawa from primitive/ancient times to the modern era. Since it is a short walk from Omori Shell Mounds Park, you can learn even more if you go to the museum after viewing the shell mounds. The museum has beautiful Japanese-style garden, including a grassy area, and you can enjoy natural scenery with each season, such as plum blossoms, cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.
Location: 6-11-1 Oi
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (admission until 4:30 p.m.)
Closed: Mondays, national holidays (open if a national holiday falls on a Sunday; if a national holiday falls on a Monday, the museum is closed on the following day as well) and during the year-end/New Year’s holidays.
Note: There are additional holidays, such as when exhibits are changed.
Admission: 100 yen; elementary and junior high school students: 50 yen
Note: Free for elementary and junior high school students who live in Shinagawa City or go to a Shinagawa municipal school, those seventy years of age or older, and those who have a disability.

Places to enjoy cherry blossoms in the Oi area Hamakawa Park: 4-8-22 Minami-Oi Oi Park: 4-8 Higashi-Oi Oi-Suijin Park: 6-14 Minami-Oi Samezu Undo Park: 1-4-11 Higashi-Oi Sakura Shinmichi: 3- to 6-chome Minami-Oi