Reisen-ji, Buddhist temple in Soeda, Japan

Reisen-ji is the head temple of the Hikosan Shugendo tradition, located in Soeda, Fukuoka Prefecture, and the first stop on the Kyushu Saigoku 33 Kannon pilgrimage. Its mountain name is Hikosan, and it enshrines the Hikosan Daigongen deity. The temple was restored under the name Reisen-ji in 1955 after the Meiji-era separation of Buddhism and Shinto had turned the site into Hikosan Shrine.

Reisen-ji traces its origin to the monk Zenshō, who in 531 (traditional date) established a hall on Mount Hiko and practised in caves, founding Hiko-san Shugendō. The monk Hōren revived the site in 819. In 1696 it became a special head temple of the Tendai Shugen Honzan-ha, and in 1729, by the decree of Retired Emperor Reigen, the mountain was renamed Hikosan. In 1868 the separation of Shinto and Buddhism turned it into Hikosan Shrine; it was revived as Reisen-ji in 1955.

Reisen-ji is the head temple of the Hikosan Shugendo tradition and the first of the 33 Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage sites in Kyushu. It enshrines the Hikosan Daigongen, and its former great lecture hall survives as the Hikosan Shrine Hōheiden, a designated Important Cultural Property. The temple was revived as Reisen-ji in 1955 by Shugendo practitioners after the Meiji-era separation of Buddhism and Shinto.

Visitors should know that appropriate dress and quiet behavior in the temple are important, as this is an active monastery with monks in daily life. Courses and meditation sessions are offered at various times, and it is advisable to inquire beforehand to participate in activities suitable for guests.

The temple's name, Reisen-ji, was adopted in 1955 when Shugendo practitioners revived the site after the Meiji-era separation of Buddhism and Shinto had turned it into Hikosan Shrine. The former great lecture hall, abolished at that time, survives as the shrine's Hōhei-den, a designated Important Cultural Property.