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Seiryūzan Zuigan-ji is a Rinzai Zen Buddhism temple in located in the town of Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Belonging to the Myōshin-ji branch of Rinzai Zen, it was founded in 828 during the Heian period by Ennin.
During the Kamakura period, under the sponsorship of Hōjō Tokimune, the temple changed from Tendai to Zen, with Lanxi Daolong has its head priest and came to a patronised by the samurai class. During the Edo period, it was rebuilt by Date Masamune from 1604 onwards using lumber brought from Kumano region in what is now Wakayama Prefecture and skilled workmen from Kyoto and Kii Province. The haiku Matsuo Bashō wrote a tribute to the golden walls inside the temple. The Date clan of Sendai Domain continued to support the temple until the Meiji Restoration.
Hondō (Hōjō), the main building, which was completed in 1609, measures 39 meters by 25.2 meters and houses the principal Buddhist image.Sōshun H., page 12. Many parts of the temple have been designated as natural treasures and important cultural assets.
Due to its protected location in Matsushima Bay, the temple escaped severe damage during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, although there was some damage to the gardens.
Zuigan-ji also features a number of caves carved into the rock. These caves were used for memorial services and as a cinerarium to house the ashes of the deceased. The caves were constructed in the Kamakura period and remained in use until the Edo period.
The temple grounds also contain the Zuigan-ji Art Museum established on October 1, 1995, to display various artifacts, including calligraphy by former head monks, fusuma paintings, tea cups and portraits.
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