Sōan-ji Temple

What it is

• A Jodo Shu temple founded in 1590 and moved to Hikone in 1603
• The primary deity enshrined here is Amida Nyorai
• It served as a lodging for Korean envoys during the Edo period
• The grounds contain a burial mound for the head of Kimura Shigenari

What to see

• The red main gate which was originally part of Sawayama Castle
• A main hall relocated from Nagahama Castle in 1702
• The Higan Byakudō no Niwa garden located on the temple grounds
• A wooden Amida Nyorai statue designated as a prefectural cultural property
• A Buddha statue said to have been the personal deity of Yodo-dono

Getting there

• The temple is a twenty-minute walk from JR Hikone Station

Notes written by Japan Gems from facts in Japanese Wikipedia.