Meguro Station Walking Guide — 6 Spots Linking Hillside Temples and an Art Deco Museum

Around Meguro Station there are 6 walking spots, ranging from temples to an art museum and a nature study park. From a Tendai-sect temple on the Gyonin-zaka slope, to a museum housed in a 1933 Art Deco residence, to a stream and wetland, history and greenery sit side by side within walking distance. All 6 spots introduced here list Meguro Station as their nearest station.

For a walk that heads downhill and loops back, try this order: [Daienji Temple](/en/spot/71635a9c-d8f7-4962-971d-805d53554a16) → [Mita Park](/en/spot/bc940ad7-3555-4ec5-8504-7b94f63ff644) → [Kofukuin Temple](/en/spot/e93bf4e2-b344-4c49-a73d-216d9d275b0e) → [Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum](/en/spot/272c7ccc-00dd-48f9-8c31-9046881ffac5) → [Institute for Nature Study](/en/spot/738441e0-d426-4dcc-8888-6465ff4a5f6c) → [Stream and Wetland](/en/spot/351220b3-6e09-49de-85ac-0db743cc1c21). You start with temples on the slope and finish among the greenery toward Shirokanedai.

Daienji Temple

A Tendai-sect temple partway down the Gyonin-zaka slope from Meguro Station. Its grounds hold a group of stone Buddhas known as the "Five Hundred Rakan," and the temple is remembered in history as the origin point of the great Gyonin-zaka fire of 1772 (Meiwa 9). Pausing on the steep slope, you can spend a quiet moment face to face with the many stone figures. Visiting first shifts your mood away from the bustle in front of the station.

Mita Park

A park with Meguro Station as its nearest station. It works well as a rest point once you have come down the slope, before moving on to the next destination. Take a bench, rest your legs, and check the route ahead.

Kofukuin Temple

A temple on the way from Meguro Station toward Shirokanedai. It sits quietly within a calm residential neighborhood, making it an easy stop while touring the temples and shrines nearby. It is one of the temples where you can feel the character of the temple district scattered across the Shirokane–Meguro area. Visiting it right after Daienji shows how differently two temples in the same area can feel.

Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

Within walking distance of Meguro Station, this museum opened the former Prince Asaka Residence, built in 1933, to the public. The Art Deco building itself is the highlight and is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. A large garden adjoins it, so you can combine an exhibition with a green, leafy stroll. As the turning point of the walk, give yourself time for both indoors and outdoors.

Institute for Nature Study

A nature study facility with Meguro Station as its nearest station. Visiting straight after the Teien Art Museum lets you meet a different face of green from the manicured garden you just left. Allow extra walking time if you want to take it slowly.

Stream and Wetland

A nature spot near Meguro Station with a stream and wetland. As a place to enjoy waterside scenery inside the city, it slots easily into a walking course. After the temples and the museum, it makes a fitting close, with the sound of water alongside you.

Closing tip

Of the 6 spots, 2 are temples, 1 is an art museum, and 3 are parks or nature spots — an easy balance between town walking and greenery. As the name Gyonin-zaka suggests, the area around Meguro Station has its ups and downs. Wear comfortable shoes and you can link the stone Buddhas on the slope with the green spaces toward Shirokanedai in a single day.