Shuzenji Temple

Shuzenji Temple is a Buddhist temple in the middle of the Shuzenji Onsen area in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture. It is said to have been founded by Kukai (774-835) in the early 9th century, and it belonged to the esoteric Buddhist tradition until 1275 when its allegiance changed to the Zen tradition that was becoming popular at the time (first the Rinzai school and later the Soto school). The temple is associated with several rulers of the Kamakura Shogunate (1185-1333), including the young Shogun Minamoto no Yoriie, who was exiled here in 1203, as well as the Hojo clan, who were patrons of the temple and used it as a base of operations for ruling the area. Because of this history, the temple possesses a number of valuable historical objects from this period. The many political stories associated with the temple have also inspired multiple modern literary works, including some by Natsume Soseki and Okamoto Kido. Visitors to the temple should also note the beautiful Dainichi Buddha statue that was created by famous sculptor Jikkei in 1210.

Photographs provided by the Shizuoka Prefectural Tourism Association.