Gokokuji Temple

Gokokuji, affiliated with the Shingon Buddhism Toyoyama School was built as a praying temple in 1681 from the wishes of Keishoin, mother of Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, the 5th shogun of the Edo Bakufu government. It is the 13th grounds of the Edo 33 Kannon Sacred Sites.

The main pavilion featuring the main god, Cintamanicakra was built in 1697. It is one of the few buildings from the Genroku period. One cannot believe it was built in half a year despite its intricate and detailed carvings with the best techniques of the time. The main pavilion and the Gekko-den are national important cultural heritage. Gekko-den was moved from the Mii-dera Temple Nikko Pavilion in Otsu City, Shiga prefecture in the beginning of the Showa period. It is an important piece of architecture that shows the study rooms of the Momoyama period. Other cultural heritages from the Genroku period such as documents and equipment are on display as a temple treasure.

Behind the main pavilion is a large graveyard which houses the remains of historic figures such as Okuma Shigenobu, Yamagata Aritomo, and Sanjo Sanetomi.