Hoirin-ji

Heirin-ji is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Myoshinji school, situated on the Nobidomedai plateau in Niiza, Saitama Prefecture. Its expansive precincts span approximately 40 hectares of secondary forest preserving the natural landscape of the ancient Musashino plain — designated a National Natural Monument in 1968. The temple was founded by Sekishitsu Zenkyu (1294–1389), who trained in Nanjing during the Yuan dynasty. The mountain name Kinpōzan (金鳳山) draws the characters "kin" (gold) and "hō" (phoenix) from the Fengcheng Baoning-ji temple in Nanjing where he studied. Heirin-ji is one of the foremost Zen training monasteries in the Kantō region, drawing monks from across the country for rigorous practice. In recent years, maple trees planted along the southwestern grounds have made the temple a celebrated destination for autumn foliage. Together with the Nobidomesui canal and surrounding woodland, the precincts form a designated Cultural Landscape under Japan's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.