Ryōsen-ji Temple, Buddhist temple in Shimoda, Japan
Ryōsen-ji is a Buddhist temple in Shimoda with three large stone grave monuments on its grounds. These structures mark the burial sites of several local officials from past centuries.
Founded in 1635 by the prelate Nitchō under the patronage of Shimoda bugyō Imamura Masanaga, the temple was rebuilt in 1826 and its main hall again in 1945. In 1854 it hosted the signing of the Shimoda Treaty, the supplementary agreement to the Treaty of Amity and the first Japan–US currency exchange rate was negotiated here. It is a National Historic Site.
The temple holds objects that show meetings between Japan and the West from the 16th to 19th centuries. You can see how these connections shaped the place and the people who lived there.
From Shimoda Station, a roughly 10-minute walk leads directly to the temple. The path follows a historical route that makes the location easy to reach.
Perry's squadron band played in the precincts during his 1854 shore stay, making this the site of Japan's first Western music concert. The German painter William Heine, who accompanied the expedition, made a lithograph of the event; a copy is kept at the temple.
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