Tokoji

Tokoji has a place with the Obaku organization of Zen Buddhism, a more up to date style of Zen that was brought into Japan in the mid 17th century. The engineering of Obaku sanctuaries, including Tokoji, mirror a more grounded Chinese impact than normal Zen sanctuaries. The sanctuary is presently a lot littler than in its prime, however huge numbers of the rest of the structures date from the 17th century. The principle fascination for guests however is the vast memorial park of the rulers situated in the forested areas behind the sanctuary. Dismal and tranquil, every one of the tombs are fronted by stone torii and lines of many greenery secured stone lamps given by the vassals of the family.

On the way to the rulers' graves you go by tombs of a portion of the Meiji Restoration pioneers who hailed from Hagi including Sufu Masanosuke. The Mori Clan were once ground-breaking masters who controlled a significant part of the western end of Honshu, however following their thrashing alongside the devotees of the Toyotomi family by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 they were deprived of quite a bit of their territory and moved from Hiroshima to Hagi in presently Yamaguchi Prefecture where they developed their new manor town.