Jindaiji

Jindai-ji in Chofu on Tokyo's western edge was founded by tradition in 733, making it the second oldest temple in the metropolitan area after Senso-ji. It belongs to the Tendai school of Japanese Buddhism and keeps a bronze Buddha from the Hakuho period that ranks as a national treasure. The grounds lie in a gently hilly, wooded landscape crossed by small streams whose clean water favours the buckwheat traditionally grown in the area; around twenty soba noodle restaurants cluster near the temple and are among the most famous in Tokyo. Each March the district hosts the Daruma market, one of the three largest in Japan, where thousands of red wish dolls change hands.