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Sojiji Temple

Head Temple of Soto School of Zen

Sojiji Temple is one of two head temples of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in Japan and has a history of more than 700 years since it was founded. The temple has three gates, the Buddha Hall, the Grand Founders’ Hall, etc., and a four-story Sanshokaku, completed in 1990.

Sojiji Temple 總持寺 is located in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama City, and is one of two head temples of the Soto school 曹洞宗 of Zen Buddhism in Japan. 700 years ago, Zen Master Keizan founded the Morooka-dera as a Soto school temple, and renamed it Sosoji. In 1911, Sojiji was moved here from present-day Ishikawa Prefecture.

Soto school of Zen Buddhism in Japan was founded by masters Dogen Zenji and Keizan Jokin. In 1223, Dogen came to China to seek Dharma and brought the Soto School back to Japan, where he is revered as the great ancestor. The temple’s Daisodo, the Grand Founders’ Hall is dedicated to Dogen, Keizan, and other Soto school Zen masters.

Manywhere Trivia:
Dogen came to China during the Southern Song Dynasty and studied under Zen Master Rujing of Ningbo Tiantong Temple, which is still considered the ancestral temple of the Japan Soto school.

The Sanmon Gate 三門 is the first of the seven garans of the Sojiji Temple, with the plaque Shogakusan hanging on the tall gate tower. The Sanshokaku 三松閣 on the north side of the Sanmon Gate was completed in 1990, and the four-story grand complex covers an area of 9,400 square meters.

Hyakkan Roka Connecting East and West

Inside the temple, there is a 164-meter-long corridor called Hyakkan Roka (100-Room Corridor), which connects the east and west and divides the inner and outer courts. After passing through the corridor, the Buddha Hall appears in front of you. The Buddha Hall, also known as Mahavira Hall, is the center of the seven garan halls, and houses the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.

In the south of the temple, there is a small hill on which a Sakuragi Kannon Statue is erected, accompanied by the Brahma Bell Tower and the Sanboden Hall.