Shokanji Temple

Founded in 1344 by Kikuchi Takemitsu, the most powerful of the Kikuchi clan's wartime leaders, immediately after he became the fifteenth head of the family. The Rinzai Zen temple sat above the Five Temples system he created, making it the most influential religious institution in the clan's castle town. At its peak, the grounds held 14 halls. Takemitsu's tomb, restored in the nineteenth century, stands near the main hall. It's a quiet stop that connects the landscape of central Kikuchi to a remarkable chapter of medieval Kyushu history.