Kozan-ji Temple

Kozan-ji is a Soto Zen temple in the Chofu district of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. It was the family temple of the Chofu Mori clan and is the 19th stop on the Chugoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage. The temple began in 1327 as the Rinzai temple Chofuku-ji, but its Buddha Hall (Butsuden) is even older, dating to 1320. This hall is a National Treasure and a leading example of a dated Kamakura-period Zen-style hall, with a hip-and-gable, cypress-bark roof and a skirt roof (mokoshi) around it. Kozan-ji is also famous in late Edo history. In 1864, Takasugi Shinsaku raised an armed force of about 80 men here in opposition to the domain's policy, a turning point on the road to the Meiji Restoration, and a statue of him on horseback stands in the grounds. The study hall (shoin) is open for viewing from 9:00 to 17:00 for 300 yen for adults; the grounds are free to enter. Allow 30 minutes to an hour.