Kokugen-ji

Kokugonji, formally Ryuganzan Kokugonji, is a Soto Zen Buddhist temple in Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture. Founded in 825 CE (Tencho 2), it bears the mountain name Ryuganzan. Following the Soto school's emphasis on zazen practice and monastic discipline, the temple has preserved a tradition of rigorous training through the generations. Nestled in a quiet valley away from the noise of daily life, it has drawn seekers of the Zen path, and its spirit has gradually woven itself into the fabric of the local community over the centuries.