Sōji-ji
| Sōji-ji 總持寺 | |
|---|---|
Sanshōkaku (三松閣), visitors' center | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sōji-ji Sōtō |
| Deity | Shaka Nyorai (Śākyamuni) |
| Status | Head Temple |
| Location | |
| Location | 2-Chōme 1-1 Tsurumi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Country | Japan |
| Geographic coordinates | 35°30′25.16″N 139°40′17.25″E / 35.5069889°N 139.6714583°E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Gyōki (acc. legend) Keizan (conversion) |
| Completed | Nara period (acc. legend) 1911 (relocation) |
| Website | |
| http://sojiji.jp/ | |
Sōji-ji (總持寺) is one of two daihonzan (大本山, "head temples") of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. The other is Eihei-ji temple in Fukui Prefecture. Fodor's calls it "one of the largest and busiest Buddhist institutions in Japan". The temple was founded in 740 as a Shingon Buddhist temple. Keizan, later known as Sōtō's great patriarch Taiso Jōsai Daishi, founded the present temple in 1321, when he renamed it Sōji-ji with the help and patronage of Emperor Go-Daigo. The temple has about twelve buildings in Tsurumi, part of the port city of Yokohama, one designed by the architect Itō Chūta.