Tōgan-ji


Tōgan-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Sōtō Zen sect located in Nagoya, central Japan.

History

Originally built in 1532 by Oda Nobuyuki in memory of his father, Oda Nobuhide, it was moved to its current location in 1714. The temple grounds have a turtle pond and a grove of giant bamboo. A 10-meter tall Buddha statue known as "The Great Buddha of Nagoya" was erected in 1987.
The temple has many links to India as one of the high priests completed his studies there. The grounds contain a lingam and a shrine dedicated to Saraswati, who is honored in a festival to Benzaiten every May 7–8. Tōgan-ji also contains a huge wood block said to purge past sins if touched with one hand.
The closest subway is Motoyama Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line and Nagoya University.