Choko-ji, Buddhist temple in Shiojiri, Japan.

Choko-ji is a Buddhist temple in Shiojiri built with traditional wooden structures and old construction techniques. The temple houses stone statues from different periods and contains gardens where seasonal plants grow throughout the year.

Founded in 1527 by Mimura Tadachika, local lord of the Shiba estate, as the family temple of the Shinano Mimura clan. In 1561 Takeda Shingen banned disorder on the temple grounds; the temple became a branch of Shingetsu-ji in Echizen. Shingen confirmed its lands in 1570 and Takeda Katsuyori in 1575. From 1649, when Tokugawa Iemitsu granted 15 koku, it received shogunal charters and prospered as a temple of learning. A 1908 fire destroyed all but the main hall; it was rebuilt in the Taisho era.

Choko-ji is the bishamonten stop on the Shinshu Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage, a circuit of temples across Nagano Prefecture. The temple belongs to the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, its mountain name is Seishozan, and its main image is Shakyamuni. The founding in 1527 by Mimura Tadachika, a steward of the Shiba estate, ties it to the Mimura clan of Shinano.

It is best to visit early in the morning when there are fewer visitors and you can explore the spaces more peacefully. Wear comfortable shoes because the grounds have uneven paths and stairs to navigate.

The temple keeps a 1649 land grant from Tokugawa Iemitsu, part of a run of shogunal vermilion-seal letters that made it a centre of learning; the 1908 fire spared only the main hall, and the documents survived the rebuilding.