松巌寺

Overview

Shoganji is a temple of the Soto Zen school tucked into the mountain village of Kinasa in the northwestern part of Nagano City. Its mountain name is Ryounzan, and it is said to have once been called Kiryuzan Jizoin. The temple is best known as the family temple of Momiji, the legendary demon-woman of local folklore, and it enshrines a guardian Jizo Bodhisattva in its kuri hall.

Highlights

• ●The historic main hall honored as Momiji's memorial temple
• ●The guardian Jizo Bodhisattva enshrined in the kuri hall
• ●A calm Soto Zen precinct bearing the mountain name Ryounzan
• ●Municipally designated cultural properties preserved within

History

Tradition dates the temple's founding to the year 969 in the Heian period, with its present form said to have taken shape around 1615. Originally known as Kiryuzan Jizoin, it later adopted the name Ryounzan Shoganji. As the memorial temple tied to the legend of the demon-woman Momiji, it has been cherished by local people alongside her story for centuries, and it preserves municipally designated cultural properties.

Map

36.6816, 138.0025 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Arrive in the Kinasa district and take in the mountain-village air on the way to Shoganji
2. 2Pay respects in the main hall while reflecting on the legend of Momiji
3. 3Bow before the Jizo Bodhisattva and walk the quiet grounds
4. 4Stroll the surrounding Kinasa scenery and sites tied to the legend

Did you know?

💡 The very place name Kinasa is bound up with demon legend, and Shoganji sits at the heart of that story. Rather than treating the demon-woman Momiji merely as a fearsome apparition, the temple honors her as an object of memorial prayer, reflecting the depth of its faith.

Nearby spots