Gotanjō-ji, Buddhist temple in Echizen, Japan
Gotanjō-ji is a Buddhist temple in a mountain valley in Shōda-chō in Echizen, Japan, serving as a specialized center for training monks. The grounds include several buildings, among them a main hall for daily meditation and rituals as well as living quarters for the practicing monks.
The temple was built in 1948 with a small hall on Mount Hanzan and marks the birthplace of Keizan Jōkin, an important master of the Sōtō Zen tradition. Keizan later founded Sōjiji, one of the two head temples of this school, which gives this site its spiritual importance.
The temple welcomes visitors every Sunday for open Zen meditation sessions where guests sit alongside monks and learn basic mindfulness techniques. After meditation, participants often gather over tea, with some of the monks leading conversations about Buddhist teachings or guiding shared exercises like yoga.
The grounds are about a ten-minute drive from the Takefu Expressway exit and offer parking for several dozen vehicles, including buses. Visitors can explore the main buildings on their own, while certain areas remain reserved for the monks.
The site is often called the Cat Temple because around thirty rescued cats live here, roaming freely across the grounds. Visitors can observe these cats twice daily during feeding times in the early morning and late afternoon when they gather around the buildings.
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