Meitoku Temple, Buddhist temple in Nagano, Japan

Meitoku Temple is a Sōtō Zen temple in Toyohisa, Matsushiro, Nagano, with the mountain name Ryūtanzan. Its main image is a Kamakura-period Shakyamuni Buddha. In the grounds are the grave of Kasuga Toratsuna (Kōsaka Masanobu), a retainer of the Takeda, and a pond called Kaeru Gassen, a designated natural monument of Nagano where toads spawn.

Founded in 1390 by Myōtoku, fifth abbot of Tōfuku-in in Echigo Province, the temple was revived in 1501 by the Zen master Shōzoku Enmyō. In 1533 Kasuga Toratsuna (Kōsaka Masanobu), castellan of Kaizu Castle, repaired its halls and invited Gyokuzan Shundō, bringing it into the Sōtō Zen school. In 1611 Matsudaira Tadateru granted it 20 koku, confirmed by the shogunate in 1649, and the Sanada lords of Matsushiro later protected it.

The temple keeps the legend of the "sake-drinking Maitreya": a Maitreya bodhisattva statue is said to have taken the form of a young monk and gone out at night to buy sake. Behind the main hall lies the "Frog Battle" pond, where toads spawn; it was designated a Nagano City Natural Monument on 1 November 1967.

The temple welcomes visitors on most days and accommodates both individual travelers and groups on its grounds. It is helpful to check in advance if special ceremonies or events are happening, as these may affect visitor access to certain areas.

Behind the main hall lies a pond where toads gather to spawn, known as the "Frog Battle" pond and designated a Nagano City Natural Monument on 1 November 1967. The temple also honours a Miroku Bodhisattva remembered in legend as the "sake-drinking Miroku", said to have slipped out nightly disguised as a young monk to buy alcohol.