Tenryuji temple pagoda, a remnant of upheaval

Kogenji Temple has a 600-year history and is known as one of the most famous historical temples in Japan. In particular, cuts from swords said to have been left by a Choshu clan samurai who stayed at Kogenji at the end of the Edo period, symbolize the temple’s historical value. These sword scars, which were left by the Choshu clan military forces in the lead-up to the war, are the remains of many bloody test slashes and are found on many of the temple’s pillars. The temple is also famous for its beautiful Japanese garden, a picturesque place where history and nature are woven together.