Chōshō-ji Temple

Overview

Chōshō-ji Temple is a Rinzai-shu Myōshin-ji branch temple located in Itako City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Its mountain name is Kaiunzan, and its principal image is Amitābha Buddha. The temple's bronze bell, an Important Cultural Property of Japan, was a donation from Hōjō Takatoki, the 14th regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, and was cast in 1330 (Genroku 2). Traditionally founded by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the temple's halls and buildings were later restored by Tokugawa Mitsukuni during the Edo period. The approximately 15,000 square meter temple grounds feature a venerable plum tree called Bunji-ume, named after the era of Yoritomo's founding; a Shigurezuka stone monument inscribed with Matsuo Bashō's haiku, "Tabibito to ware na yoberemu hatsu shigure" (The first autumn shower, And I, called by the traveler's name); and a linked verse monument commemorating the poet's exchange with Jijuntei Shōkō, a local poet, during his Kasima travels. The loumen (mountain gate) and the gabled, thatched-roof Buddhist hall (main hall) housing the Amitābha Triad further back, are examples of Zen architecture, preserving the temple's Zen character. The inner vermilion gate, the kuri (temple kitchen), and the shuin (study) are also structures from the Genroku era, housing treasures associated with the Mito Tokugawa family. All of these buildings are designated as Ibaraki Prefectural Cultural Properties. The temple grounds offer a quiet and serene atmosphere, perfect for a leisurely stroll through history. The scenery is particularly beautiful during cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons.