Located in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, just a short distance from Shinjuku, Chinkokuzan Kōho-in—a temple of the Rinzai Zen Tenryū-ji school—was built on the site of the former residence of Yamaoka Tesshū, a retainer of the shogunate during the late Edo period.
Tesshu Zenkai offers a place to train for working people who live busy lives in the city.

Origin of Kohoin

Kōho-in is a temple of the Rinzai Zen Tenryū-ji school located in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, near Shinjuku. It was built in 1943 on the site of the former residence of Yamaoka Tesshū. The temple’s name, “Kōho,” derives from Yamaoka Tesshū’s real name, “Takayuki.”

Tesshu Yamaoka, who was active from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era, met with Takamori Saigo, Kaishu Katsu, and others here to discuss the future of the country.

In 1942, a person from Osaka purchased the land and, after learning of its historical value, donated a portion of it to Master Sei Seisetsu Seki, who was then the abbot of the Tenryuji School. This led to the construction of Kohoin Temple as a "place for training to pacify the nation," and it was completed on May 8, 1943.

Tesshu Zen Kai

The Tesshu Zen Association was founded in 1947 by the second abbot, Master Sogen OMORI, with the strong belief that the legacy of Tesshu YAMAOKA and the Zen style of the Great monk Seisetsu SEKI would be enough to create a place where people could find peace of mind, considering the devastation caused by air raids and postwar confusion.

This dojo is a place for laypeople to engage in zazen and work in order to look at and study themselves, which is similar to a professional monastery, and is based on the KOAN method of entering zazen meditation. Zen practice is meaningful only when it is practiced in society. Zen practice does not fall into the realm of ideology, but rather, through Zen calligraphy, Zen sword, and Zen tea, the boundaries are cultivated.

Title "Zen Landscape": work by SOU, Enju

Michi Kobo , a welfare service office for the handicapped

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