ABOUT
About this spot
Zuigan-ji is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Myoshinji school in Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, one of Japan's Three Scenic Views. Its main hall (the former abbot's quarters) and its kitchen building with corridor, built in the Momoyama style under the feudal lord Date Masamune, are designated National Treasures. The temple is traditionally said to have begun as the Tendai temple Enpuku-ji, opened in 828 by the monk Ennin at the request of Emperor Junna, although reliable records are scarce. In the Kamakura period the regent Hojo Tokiyori converted it to Zen. It had fallen into near ruin by the end of the Warring States period, but Date Masamune rebuilt it completely between 1604 and 1609, and the present buildings date from then. After the Meiji Restoration it lost its estates in the anti-Buddhist movement and many buildings decayed, but it recovered gradually after receiving an imperial gift in 1876. A major restoration ran from 2008 to 2018, and a ceremony marked its completion on June 24, 2018. The main hall was designated a National Treasure in 1953. Its gold-ground wall paintings, the Onari Gate, the Middle Gate, the Godai-do hall and the statues of the Five Wisdom Kings are Important Cultural Properties. Two plum trees said to have been planted by Masamune, the Garyu-bai, stand in the grounds, and the temple is No. 6 on the Oshu 33 Kannon pilgrimage. The treasure hall Seiryuden keeps and displays the original wall paintings. A Basho festival is held on the second Sunday of November, since the poet Matsuo Basho visited in 1689. On New Year's Eve there is a fire-prevention prayer procession, and visitors may ring the bell. The 2011 tsunami reached the grounds and killed many of the cedars lining the approach, about 300 of which were felled. The gates open at 8:30 every month and close earlier in winter, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. The temple's own guide suggests 30 to 40 minutes for a visit. There is no parking lot, so walking from Matsushimakaigan Station is the simplest way. The temple Entsu-in in the same town is nearby.
Last updated October 22, 2026