Seigan-ji

What it is

• A Rinzai school temple founded by Ashikaga Motouji in 1360.
• Designated as a prayer hall by Ashikaga Mochiuji.
• Tokugawa Ieyasu granted land to the temple in 1591.
• The mountain name of this religious site is Dairyuzan.

What to see

• A large zelkova tree standing southeast of the temple grounds.
• The tree is a Saitama Prefecture natural monument measuring 13 meters high.
• A massive tree trunk with a circumference of 8.5 meters.
• The ancient tree originally served as a sacred site for Shinmei Shrine.

Getting there

• The temple is a 24-minute walk from Nishi-Omiya Station.

Notes written by Japan Gems from facts in Japanese Wikipedia.