Soto Zen · Ryutanzan
A Soto Zen temple traditionally founded in 1390.
A Soto Zen temple in Toyosaka, Matsushiro.
Tradition dates Meitokuji’s founding to 1390. Its present main hall and temple gate were built in 1713 and are Registered Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan. Buddhist services and memorial observances continue at the temple today; please visit with quiet respect.
A local tale tells of a mysterious temple novice who visited a sake shop night after night. When the shopkeeper followed footprints through the snow, they ended at Meitokuji’s Miroku hall. The novice was said to have been Miroku Bodhisattva in disguise—a warm, playful story that has long been cherished in Matsushiro.
Full story in Japanese →
Kosaka Masanobu, also known as Kasuga Toratsuna, served Takeda Shingen and Katsuyori as castellan of Kaizu Castle, the forerunner of Matsushiro Castle. Temple tradition credits him with reviving Meitokuji, and his grave remains within the grounds.
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Born in Matsushiro in 1891, Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi commanded the Japanese garrison during the Battle of Iwo Jima. A memorial grave stands at Meitokuji. The site is presented as a place to remember the lives lost on all sides and to reflect on peace, rather than to glorify war.
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The pond was known for a spring gathering of Japanese common toads called the “frog battle.” Toad numbers have since declined, while brown frogs now visit to spawn. The pond remains a Natural Monument designated by Nagano City, and visitors are asked to watch quietly and never enter it.
Full story in Japanese →History and cultural heritage
During the Sengoku period, the warrior Kosaka Masanobu is said to have supported the repair and rebuilding of the temple. Seven historical documents preserved at Meitokuji are Designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Nagano City.
Important examples of mid-Edo-period Soto Zen temple architecture, registered as national Tangible Cultural Properties in 2022.
The breeding pond behind the main hall is a Natural Monument designated by Nagano City.
Land confirmations, prohibitions, and letters that illuminate the relationship between the temple and regional authorities.
About 15 minutes from the Nagano Interchange on the Joshin-etsu Expressway.
Take a bus from JR Nagano Station to Matsushiro, then approximately 10 minutes by taxi.
Parking is available.
Please speak quietly around the main hall and graves, and never enter the toad spawning pond.