Rinnoji Temple

Rinnoji Temple was founded in 1441 in Yanagawa, Date District, Ōshū (modern-day Fukushima Prefecture) under the direction of Lady Rantei Myōgyoku, wife of Date Masamune, the ninth head of the Date clan. The temple was established by the eleventh clan leader, Date Mochimune, who invited the Zen master Taian Bonsu to serve as its founding priest.

Lady Myōgyoku had a close familial connection to the Ashikaga shogunate, being the sister of the mother of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun. Due to this connection, the sixth shogun, Ashikaga Yoshinori, petitioned Emperor Go-Hanazono, who granted the temple an imperial plaque inscribed “Kongōhōzan Rinno Zenji”, personally written by the Emperor.

As the Date clan relocated their main stronghold over the years - from Nishiyama, Yonezawa, Aizu, back to Yonezawa, then Iwadeyama - Rinnoji Temple also moved accordingly, finally settling in its current location in Sendai in 1602. Under the patronage of the Date family, Rinnoji flourished for more than three centuries as a major Sōtō Zen monastic complex in the Tōhoku region. It earned the nickname “Zen Cave of Eastern Seas” (Kaitō Zenku) for its cultural and religious significance.

Following the Meiji Restoration, Rinnoji lost the protection of the Date family. In 1876, a wildfire in the Kitayama area devastated the temple, destroying all its seven main buildings except for the Niō Gate. The temple remained in ruins for over twenty years, with no reconstruction efforts underway.

Concerned by Rinnoji’s decline, the two head temples of the Sōtō Zen sect - Eiheiji and Sōjiji - appointed Zen master Fukujō Mugai as the temple’s abbot in 1903 to lead its revival. Mugai devoted over a decade of tireless effort to the temple’s reconstruction, completing the main hall and priest’s quarters in 1915.

Mugai also designed the temple garden, which by the end of his life had taken on much of the form it has today. His successor, Zen master Gohō, continued the restoration by overseeing the construction of the temple bell, memorial hall, meditation hall (zazendō), and founder’s hall (kaisan-dō), completing the full complement of seven major buildings. The garden was further enhanced with the addition of the teahouse Hanshaku-an, making Rinnoji one of the most distinguished temple gardens in the Tōhoku region.

In 1981, under Zen master Dōkan’s leadership, a three-story pagoda was built to commemorate the 500th memorial anniversary of the founding priest, restoring some of the temple’s original grandeur.

In 2004, all the cedar trees lining the temple’s approach were cut down due to a city planning project for an underground road. To restore the natural landscape, the current abbot, with help from volunteers, carried out a large-scale reforestation. More than 30,000 trees have since been planted, and a natural forest has grown to once again surround Rinnoji Temple.

Zazen Practice at Rinnoji

Zazen, or seated meditation, is the central practice of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism. It is practiced as “shikantaza”, meaning “just sitting” with wholehearted attention and no deliberate focus on anything else.

The temple hosts a Saturday Zazen Group, open freely to the public since 1954. Sessions take place every Saturday evening from 6:25 PM to 8:00 PM in the Zazen Hall. Participation is free, and no reservation is required (though groups are asked to inquire in advance). Sessions pause during the Obon holiday Saturdays and from early December until mid-January. Visitors are encouraged to wear comfortable, loose clothing and first-timers should arrive 15 minutes early.

Rinwa-kai: Connecting with Buddhism Through Practice

Rinwa-kai is a community group dedicated to deepening familiarity with temples and Buddhist teachings through activities such as sutra copying (shakyo) and Buddhist image tracing (shabutsu). These practices are said to bring peace of mind and spiritual benefit. Anyone interested in Buddhism or wishing to try these traditional arts is warmly welcome to join.

The concept of “Zen and forest as one” (禅森一如, zenshin ichinyo) reflects Rinnoji Temple’s dedication to forest stewardship and environmental preservation. This philosophy guides efforts to maintain and pass on the temple’s rich natural surroundings to the local community and future generations, forming an integral part of Rinnoji’s mission.