Sanriku Coast

Seiryoin Temple

清涼院 | Seiryoin Temple

A welcoming Zen temple with meditation sessions open to all

Photo by Nishant Annu

Photo by Nishant Annu

Photo by Seiryoin Temple

Photo by Nishant Annu

  • Nishant Annu

    Writer

    Last Update
    March 31, 2020

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  • Seiryoin Temple is a Soto Zen temple which has served as an important cultural center for coastal communities in the Motoyoshi region of Kesennuma for over 450 years. The neighborhoods in the vicinity of the temple were inundated by the tsunami which followed the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, and as a result, the temple became the primary Disaster Response Center in the region, at one point housing over a hundred evacuees.

    The temple is located on a beautiful wooded hilltop with an ocean view. In the spring, the garden blooms into life with cherry blossoms, while autumn paints the temple grounds in vivid red and gold.  Although the primary role of many Buddhist temples today is to perform funeral services, when Seiryoin was originally established, the temple was responsible for performing all kinds of civic functions, and was even home to a school, called a terakoya, for teaching the local children to read and write.

    The current head priest is Abbot Koyu Miura; the Miura family has been the caretakers of Seiryoin for four generations. Abbot Miura is devoted to changing the reputation of Buddhist temples as only a place for funerals. He says he wants his temple to be “a place for the living, not just the dead.”

    I highly recommend taking part in a Zen meditation session at the temple. The monks’ simple guidance and the low-key, relaxed atmosphere of the place makes it a welcoming experience for people of all backgrounds, even for those who are unfamiliar with meditation. There is no cost to participate in a meditation session, but guests who feel inclined are welcome to donate to the temple.

    WEBSITEhttp://www.sotozen-navi.com/detail/index_40403.html

  • Sanriku Coast

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    Art & Culture Do & See Earthquake & Tsunami Recovery Sanriku Coast Temples & Shrines

Details

ADDRESS

17 Motoyoshicho Omori, Kesennuma, Miyagi 988-0283

ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSIT

20-minute walk from Koganezawa Station (Kesennuma BRT Line)

ADMISSION

Free

CREDIT CARDS

Not accepted

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

Yes

HOURS

Always open, but please refrain from visiting late at night

RESERVATION

Required for meditation session. For more info or to book a session, email [email protected].

CLOSED DAYS

Irregular

PHONE

0226-44-3351

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