Kanenbo Dojo Site

In the 13th century, itinerant priest Kanenbo Zenshun, a disciple of Shinran who founded Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, settled in the village of Hatogaya and established a training hall here with support from the local Yamashita family. His work took root, and Jodo Shinshu eventually became the dominant form of Buddhism across the Hida area, shaping burial customs, food culture, and architecture for centuries. Zenshun's original dojo was later moved to a neighboring village and formalized as Shorenji Temple, which itself relocated several times before settling in Takayama. The site in Hatogaya is preserved as a landmark, with a modest reconstructed thatched-roof hall standing behind it.