Eihei-ji

Eihei-ji is the great head temple of the Soto Zen school, opened by Zen Master Dogen in the Kamakura period. As a Zen training hall embodying the ideals of Zen Master Dogen, known for the 'Shobogenzo,' strict practice has continued for more than seven hundred years. In the silence embraced by deep mountains, many monks dedicate themselves to zazen practice. Surrounded by cryptomeria groves of several hundred years old, the precincts have the quality of another world. The buildings known as the Seven Hall Complex are majestic, and the view from the Hatto is particularly beautiful, as if washing the spirit. As a place of practice based on Zen teachings—severe yet compassionate—it continues to inspire many people as a sacred place.