Taineiji Temple

It is one of the most famous temples of the Soto sect, which was founded in 17 Oei Era by Washigashira Hirotada, the guardian of the area at that time. In the past, it boasted such prosperity that it was called the Koya of the west. It is also known as the final resting place of the Ouchi clan, which flourished in Yamaguchi during the Muromachi period (1336-1573) as the dominant clan in the western part of Japan. The Banseki Bridge spanning the Taineiji River dates from the early Edo period and is one of the three odd bridges in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The temple grounds are spacious and include the main hall, which was rebuilt in the Edo period (1603-1867), the foundation stone of the former temple gate, the Sugatami no Ike pond, where Lord Ouchi Yoshitaka is said to have realized his final days by looking at his face, and the Kabuto-gake rock. The moss-covered Hokyointo (a Japanese box-shaped pagoda), which is a symbol of the temple, silently tells the sad history of Ouchi Yoshitaka, his heir, Yoshitaka, and his retainers. In addition, there is the tomb of Washigashira Hirotada, the tomb of Uesugi Norimitsu, who was the Kanto governor in the Muromachi period (1336-1573), and the tomb of a Mori clan vassal in the Edo period (1603-1868), all of which suggest the long history of the temple. There is also a monument to a poem by Kodama Kagai, a poet active from the Meiji Era to the early Showa Era, who wrote about Qinghai Island, and Toyokawa Inari is enshrined on the west side of the main hall, at the end of the path with brightly colored flags fluttering. The temple is also known for its cherry blossoms in the spring and autumn leaves in the fall.