Sosanji Temple

Overview

Sosanji is a temple of the Soto Zen school located in Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Set within an urban district just a short walk from Kawasaki Station, it offers a quiet precinct only a step away from the bustle of the shopping quarter. With the calm, contemplative air characteristic of a Soto Zen temple, it makes an easy stop between shopping or train transfers and slips naturally into any itinerary.

Highlights

• ●The serene Zen precinct typical of the Soto school
• ●Urban convenience within walking distance of JR Kawasaki Station
• ●A striking contrast of downtown bustle and quiet stillness
• ●A setting that evokes Kawasaki's history as a Tokaido post town

History

Sosanji belongs to the Soto Zen school and has developed alongside the history of Kawasaki-ku, an area that flourished as a post town and temple town. Details of its founding and lineage vary by account, so please check official sources for exact dates. The Soto school is a branch of Zen Buddhism centered on seated meditation, and Sosanji is thought to have long served the local community as a temple carrying on that teaching.

Map

35.5326, 139.7017 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Get off at JR Kawasaki Station and walk through the downtown area to Sosanji
2. 2Pay a quiet visit and take in the Zen atmosphere within the city
3. 3Stop by the shopping streets and eateries around Kawasaki-ku
4. 4Move on from Keikyu Kawasaki Station toward Yokohama or Haneda

Did you know?

💡 Kawasaki once thrived as a post town on the old Tokaido highway, and traces of that past can still be found throughout the Kawasaki-ku area. The contrast of a living Zen temple right beside the buzz of the station front is one of the distinctive pleasures of visiting this place.

Nearby spots