Daijoji Temple 大乗寺

Zen monastery and temple from 1262 with guided meditation

Daijoji is a Soto Zen Buddhist monastery and temple in the mountains south of central Kanazawa. Its serene, verdant grounds are open to the public. Visitors can join meditation sessions (4:30 a.m. daily, plus 1:30 p.m. on Sundays) or stay overnight for a more complete taste of the daily life of a resident monk.

Daijoji was first established in 1262 in present-day Nonoichi as a temple of the Shingon school. It became affiliated with Zen when Tettsu Gikai (1219–1309), an important leader of the Soto Zen school, became its chief monk in 1293. It moved to its current location in 1697.