Hōshaku-ji

Hoshaku-ji is a Soto Zen temple in Kanra-cho, Gunma Prefecture, founded before 1280. In 1450, the local lord Obata Saneko invited Zen master Soan Sokaku from Tocho-ji to restore the temple, converting it from Tendai to Soto Buddhism. During the Edo period, lord Oda Nobuyoshi designated it as the clan temple, though this was later transferred to Sofuku-ji. The graves of the Obata clan lords remain on the grounds as a designated historic site, and the ceiling paintings of the mausoleum hall are a designated cultural property of Kanra-cho. Today the temple is beloved as a flower temple with blossoms throughout the seasons.