A temple with a beautiful Japanese rock garden
One of the "Kofu Gozan" ("five mountains of Kofu"), a hierarchical system following the one used to organize Buddhist temples in Kyoto and Kamakura, in which Takeda Shingen chose five temples on the slopes of the Kofu basin to be placed under his protection.
Toko-ji was founded around 500 years ago and houses the graves of both Shingen’s eldest son Yoshinobu and Suwa Yorishige (whose daughter gave birth to Shingen’s last son and heir, Katsuyori). After rebelling against his father, Yoshinobu was imprisoned in the temple, where he eventually died by his own blade. Suwa Yorishige was captured and imprisoned there as well following Shingen’s invasion of Suwa, and also committed suicide by seppuku.
Within the temple’s precincts is a rock garden famously designed by Lanxi Daolong, designated as an prefectural cultural property, that is especially beautiful when the irises are in bloom (May). The temple’s main hall enshrines the "medicine Buddha" Bhaisajyaguru and is considered an important national asset.
Toko-ji was founded around 500 years ago and houses the graves of both Shingen’s eldest son Yoshinobu and Suwa Yorishige (whose daughter gave birth to Shingen’s last son and heir, Katsuyori). After rebelling against his father, Yoshinobu was imprisoned in the temple, where he eventually died by his own blade. Suwa Yorishige was captured and imprisoned there as well following Shingen’s invasion of Suwa, and also committed suicide by seppuku.
Within the temple’s precincts is a rock garden famously designed by Lanxi Daolong, designated as an prefectural cultural property, that is especially beautiful when the irises are in bloom (May). The temple’s main hall enshrines the "medicine Buddha" Bhaisajyaguru and is considered an important national asset.
| Address | 〒400-0807 山梨県甲府市東光寺3-7-37 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 055-233-9070 |
| Opening Times | The garden is open to visitors from 9:00 to 17:00 |
| Closures | Open year-round |
| Prices | Fee to enter the garden: ¥300 (free for junior high school students and under) |
| Transport | 10-minute walk from Zenko-ji station on the JR Minobu line, or a 15-minute bus ride on bus #91/98 from the south entrance of Kofu station (alight at Zenko-ji Iriguchi and walk 10 minutes to the temple). (Note: the PASMO/Suica train pass cannot be used on the Minobu train line. Please purchase a ticket of the corresponding value at a ticket vending machine or ticket counter beforehand) |
| URL | Bus timetable to Zenko-ji Iriguchi |
