Kaigan-ji, Buddhist sanctuary in Tadotsu, Japan.
Kaigan-ji is a Buddhist temple and reijō in Tadotsu, Kagawa Prefecture, and serves as the headquarters of Shorinji Kempo. The grounds include traditional ceremonial halls alongside dedicated training spaces that sit next to the main temple buildings.
The temple took its present form in 1947 when Doshin So founded the Shorinji Kempo training system here after World War II. That decision turned a traditional religious site into an active center for martial training alongside Buddhist practice.
Kaigan-ji is the home of Shorinji Kempo, a martial art that ties physical training directly to Buddhist practice. In the training halls, students wear white robes, which gives the place a look unlike most other temples.
The temple is within walking distance of Tadotsu station, so no special transport is needed to reach it. Since active training takes place on the grounds, it is worth checking ahead to make sure the site is open to visitors on your chosen day.
The temple is one of the very few places in the world where a martial art is officially recognized as a religious practice rather than a sport. The founding documents of Shorinji Kempo treat the physical training of students as a form of Buddhist practice.
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