Honno-ji

Honno-ji is where Oda Nobunaga died, but this is not the building, or even the site. In 1582 his general Akechi Mitsuhide turned on him, and Nobunaga took his own life as the temple, which then stood at Shijo-Nishinotoin, burned. Ten years later Toyotomi Hideyoshi had Honno-ji rebuilt on its present site on Teramachi-dori, just south of Oike. Fire kept coming back: the temple counts five fires in its history, including the great Tenmei fire of 1788 and the fighting of 1864, and the present main hall dates from 1928. Look at the name on the gate. The right half of the character 能 is written with 去 instead of the usual two strokes that resemble hi, the word for fire. The grounds are free and open from 6:00 to 17:00, a calm square between the shopping arcades and City Hall. Behind the main hall is Nobunaga's mausoleum. The Daihoden treasure house, 700 yen for adults, shows tea utensils and letters that belonged to Nobunaga and a bronze incense burner known as the Three-legged Frog, said to have warned him of danger. It shuts on exhibition changeover days, so check the temple's news page before making a special trip.