[Buddhist Temple] Renkōji Temple (蓮光寺)

Subhas Chandra Bose's statue decorated with flowers during his 80th memorial service at Renkoji Temple

Today, Renkoji Temple (蓮光寺), in Tokyo, Japan, held the 80th memorial service for Subhas Chandra Bose.

A sign stating the 80th memorial service of Subhas Chandra Bose placed at the entrance of Renkoji Temple

Renkoji Temple is a Buddhist temple (Nichiren Shu) founded by Nippo in 1594 in the Ryogoku District of Edo, which is now Chuo-ku, Tokyo.  In 1644, the Edo shogunate took over the original site and relocated the temple to Asakusa, an area now part of Taito-ku, Tokyo.  This area became known as Shinteramachi, which translates to "New Temple Town," due to the influx of relocated temples.

In July 1915, the temple moved again due to land readjustments in Taito-ku, settling in its current location in Suginami-ku, Tokyo.

Renkoji Temple is the final resting place of Subhas Chandra Bose, a prominent Indian nationalist who fought for India’s independence.  After Bose’s death due to a plane crash in Japanese-occupied Taiwan on August 18, 1945, his remains were sent from the Japanese military headquarters in Taiwan to the General Staff Headquarters in Tokyo, and eventually to the Indian Independence League.  Amid the chaos of post-World War II Japan, finding a temple willing to conduct his funeral was challenging.  However, Nichiki, the head priest of Renkoji Temple at the time, agreed to hold the service on September 18, 1945.

Nichiki faced several attempts to politicize Bose’s remains, as Bose is revered as a hero in the Indian independence movement.  Despite these challenges, Nichiki and his successors managed to safeguard Bose’s remains and have continued to hold memorial services annually.

The temple has been visited by several high-ranking Indian officials, including Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957, President Rajendra Prasad in 1958, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1969, and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2001.

Stone plaque inscribed with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's message behind Bose's statue