Senkoji

Senkoji is a Soto Zen temple located in Yamamoto, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, with the mountain name Ryugosan. Founded in 1192 (Kenkyuu 3) when Kusano Nagahira invited the priest Eisai to establish the temple, it is known as one of the oldest Zen temples in Japan. The temple received an imperial tablet bearing the mountain name "Ryugosan" from Emperor Gokomatsu, and in 1420 (Oei 27) it became widely revered as a place of prayer for the removal of calamities. A bronze bell bearing inscriptions from the Northern Court period remains on the grounds as a prefectural cultural property, alongside memorial towers of successive generations of the Kusano clan. The mausoleum of Prince Kanenaga, the Sei-Sei Shogun, is also preserved here. Today the temple is also renowned for its hydrangea garden, with approximately 7,000 plants blooming each season.