Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens, Fukuyama

Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens was established in 1965 as a temple of the Rinzai sect, Kenninji school, located in the forested mountains of Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture. It was founded by Hideo Kambara, then president of a shipping company, who wished to memorialize the spirits of shipping employees who had lost their lives in accidents. Originally conceived as a Zen training monastery for Japanese and foreign visitors, the temple expanded its offerings in 2016 to reach a wider audience, transforming into an accessible cultural destination.

The temple grounds span a vast 230,000 square meters and feature an exceptional collection of relocated historical structures and purpose-built facilities. The main gate, or Somon, was relocated in 1967 from the old Kayanomiya Palace on the grounds of Kyoto Imperial Palace, dating from the late Edo period. Gankuin Hall, a 370-year-old building originally constructed in 1647, was moved from Eigenji temple in Shiga Prefecture and now serves as a café offering tea and yudofu. The complex also includes a restored teahouse designed by Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), the most profound influence on the Japanese "Way of Tea".

A major highlight is one of Japan's largest collections of Zen paintings and calligraphies by Zen master Hakuin, displayed in Shogondo, the permanent collection gallery, with exhibitions refreshed several times yearly. The contemporary art pavilion Kohtei, designed by sculptor Kohei Nawa and his creative platform SANDWICH, presents a striking ship-shaped structure with traditional wooden shingles. Inside, visitors encounter an installation featuring quiet waters with rippling reflections of light, interpreting Zen teachings through modern art. The temple also features extensive gardens designed by Kinsaku Nakane and Shiro Nakane, including a dry landscape garden comprised of three smaller gardens and Shoshintei garden with a heart-shaped pond.

Visitors can participate in various Zen experiences including zazen meditation sessions, sutra copying for ¥1,000, and sampling Shinshoji Udon, the traditional noodles eaten by trainee monks. The bathhouse, one of the seven regular buildings of a traditional Zen temple, is available for an additional fee of ¥800 for adults. Tea houses throughout the grounds offer matcha and sencha tea sets with traditional sweets. Audio guides in Japanese, English, and Chinese are available to enhance the visitor experience.

General admission costs ¥1,800 for adults, ¥1,000 for university and high school students, and ¥500 for elementary and junior high school students. The temple is located approximately 15 kilometers southwest of central Fukuyama. From Fukuyama Station, take a Tomotetsu bus bound for Miroku no Sato and get off at Tenjinyama bus stop (25 minutes, ¥580), followed by a 20-minute walk. On weekends, some buses serve the Shinshoji bus stop directly (30 minutes, ¥640). By car, the journey from Fukuyama Station takes approximately 30 minutes.