Chokokuji Temple is a historic temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism located in Matsushiro, Nagano City. Its mountain name is Sanada-zan, and the temple enshrines Shakyamuni Buddha as its principal image.
Chokokuji is best known as the family temple and ancestral temple of the Sanada clan, the samurai family that ruled the Matsushiro Domain during the Edo period. With its historic buildings, mausoleums, graves, and cultural treasures, the temple offers an important window into the history of the Sanada family and Matsushiro.
When the temple was first established, its extensive grounds included a main gate, meditation hall, founder’s hall, three monks’ quarters, communal living quarters, and a kitchen and administrative building. The original temple complex extended approximately 130 meters from east to west and 260 meters from north to south, creating a large and impressive Zen temple precinct.
The history of Chokokuji can be traced back to 1547, during the Sengoku period. Sanada Yukitaka, an important ancestor of the Sanada clan, founded a temple called Chōkokuji, originally known as Hase-dera, in Sanada, in what is now Sanada Town in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture. The monk Deni Kōun served as its founding abbot.
In 1622, the first lord of the Matsushiro Domain, Sanada Nobuyuki, was transferred to Matsushiro. The temple moved with the Sanada family, and its chief priest became the founding abbot of the temple at its present location. It was newly established under the name Chokokuji.
From this time onward, Chokokuji served as the family temple of the Sanada clan and played an important role in the religious life of the Matsushiro Domain. The temple was also granted a domain of 200 koku as a source of support.
In 1628, Chokokuji was designated as the 僧録所, an official administrative center for the Soto Zen tradition in Shinano Province. It also flourished as a place where Buddhist monks could train and study.
In 1649, the Tokugawa shogunate formally recognized the temple’s status by granting it a territory of 100 koku. These privileges strengthened Chokokuji’s position as one of the important temples of the region.
Like many historic wooden temples in Japan, Chokokuji suffered several major disasters over the centuries. In 1717, a devastating fire destroyed the temple’s buildings.
In 1742, the great flood known as the Ino-manzui caused severe damage to the main hall. The temple complex was eventually restored in 1810, but another major fire broke out in 1872, during the early Meiji period. Many valuable temple treasures, Buddhist scriptures, and historical documents were lost in the blaze.
The main hall was rebuilt in 1886 and remains today. For a period, the temple’s kitchen and administrative building used the former spear-training hall of Matsushiro Domain Bunbu School, which had been relocated to the temple. In 1997, however, the spear-training hall was moved back to its original location, and a new kitchen and administrative building was constructed at Chokokuji.
Several mausoleums built during the Edo period remain within the temple grounds. Three particularly important structures survive today.
Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuyuki: Built in 1660, this is the most elaborate of the surviving mausoleums.
Mausoleum of Sanada Yukimichi: This structure was later relocated and reused as the temple’s founder’s hall.
Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuhiro: Built in 1736, this is another important surviving example of the Sanada family’s funerary architecture.
The Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuyuki is particularly impressive. Built in the irimoya-zukuri style, it features a gabled roof, decorative chidori-hafu gables, and an ornate karahafu entrance canopy. Both its exterior and interior are richly decorated with vivid colors and finely carved ornamentation.
The mausoleum and its front gate are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, reflecting their architectural and historical significance.
Behind the Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuyuki lies the cemetery of the successive lords of the Matsushiro Domain from the Sanada family. Memorial monuments for earlier members of the clan, including Sanada Yukitaka, Nobutsuna, and Masayuki, can be found here.
Memorial monuments for Sanada Nobushige, better known as Sanada Yukimura, and his son Daisuke were also erected here during the Taisho period.
The cemetery is also home to the graves of many retainers of the Matsushiro Domain. These include members of the Oyamada family, successive chief retainers, and Onda Tamichika, as well as Sanada Shima, a chief retainer active during the final years of the Edo period.
Other notable graves include that of the famous Go player Sekiyama Sendayu and Hasegawa Gosaku, who successfully developed the cultivation of enoki mushrooms. Walking through the cemetery reveals the wide range of people who contributed to the history and culture of Matsushiro.
Chokokuji is home to several important cultural properties and historic sites.
National Important Cultural Property: The Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuyuki, including its main sanctuary and front gate.
National Historic Site: The Sanada Family Cemetery of the Matsushiro Domain.
Nagano Prefectural Treasure: The Founder’s Hall, formerly the Mausoleum of Sanada Yukimichi, as well as the Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuhiro and its front gate.
Nagano City Historic Site: The grave of Onda Tamichika, marked by a hōkyōin-tō memorial pagoda.
1547: Hase-dera, the predecessor of Chokokuji, is founded in the Sanada area.
1622: The temple moves to Matsushiro with Sanada Nobuyuki and is newly established as Chokokuji.
1660: The Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuyuki is built.
1742: The main hall suffers major damage in the great flood known as the Ino-manzui.
1810: The temple complex is restored.
1872: A fire once again destroys much of the temple.
1886: The present main hall is rebuilt.
1966: The Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuhiro is designated a Nagano Prefectural Treasure.
1976: The Mausoleum of Sanada Nobuyuki is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
1987: The Sanada Family Cemetery is designated a National Historic Site.
Chokokuji Temple is far more than a place of Buddhist worship. It is a historic site where the story of the Sanada family, the Matsushiro Domain, and the development of Buddhism in Shinano come together.
The surviving mausoleums, cemetery, temple buildings, and cultural properties create a quiet but powerful atmosphere. For visitors interested in samurai history, traditional Japanese architecture, Buddhism, or the Sanada clan, Chokokuji offers an opportunity to encounter history in an authentic setting.
When visiting Nagano, take time to explore Chokokuji and the surrounding historic district of Matsushiro. Alongside Matsushiro Castle, Bunbu School, and other Sanada-related sites, the temple forms an important part of the historical landscape of this former castle town.