Kai Zenkoji Temple
A renowned temple founded in Eiroku 1 (1558) by Takeda Shingen, a Sengoku-era warlord of Kai (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture). Fearing that Zenkoji Temple in Nagano might be destroyed by fire during the Battles of Kawanakajima, Takeda Shingen moved the principal image of Amida Nyorai and other Buddhist treasures to Kofu, which marked the beginning of the temple. Even after the fall of the Takeda clan, the temple continued to receive generous protection from Tokugawa Ieyasu and others.
The temple architecture has a wonderfully old-school feel. The main gate and the main hall have been rebuilt, but they’re still in great shape, and you can really sense the history here.
