Kokokuji Temple

Hotto Kokushi is the person who started Zen Buddhism at this temple. The Chinese characters for the name Hotto Kokushi mean 'water goes away, fire rises', so there is a legend that the temple was rebuilt in one night by a tengu after it was burned down by a fire. Hotto Kokushi also brought back from China the method for producing Kinzanji miso, which became the basis for soy sauce. Kokokuji Temple is a Zen sect temple of the Rinzai sect, Horto school, and has a quiet and solemn atmosphere unique to Zen temples.