Josenji Temple is a historic Soto Zen Buddhist temple located at the foot of the mountains in Hata, Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Its mountain name is Tenyozan, while it is widely known by the name Mizusawa Kannon.
Founded in 1552, the temple has long served as an important center of local faith. Its principal Buddhist image is Shaka Nyorai, the Historical Buddha. Surrounded by forests and the gentle sounds of mountain water, Josenji offers a peaceful atmosphere that feels far removed from the bustle of the city.
The temple is especially famous for its magnificent weeping cherry tree. When the blossoms appear in spring, the historic buildings, flowing water, and delicate pink flowers create one of the most beautiful seasonal scenes in the Hata area.
According to temple tradition, Josenji was originally established in 1552 by Tsune Izumi-no-kami, the local land steward of the Kambayashi area. At that time, it was known as Josenji, written with different characters from its present name.
During the Keicho era from 1596 to 1615, the Zen priest Hakuyo Shotei, the second abbot of Zuishoji Temple, formally established the temple as a place of Soto Zen practice. In 1659, a request was made to change the temple’s name in the hope of promoting its development, and in 1670 it officially became known as Josenji, the name used today.
Josenji also has a strong connection with Banryu Shonin, a celebrated Buddhist monk of the late Edo period. Originally from Etchu, present-day Toyama Prefecture, Banryu is particularly remembered for his contribution to the development of religious routes to Mount Yari in the Northern Alps.
Banryu is said to have visited the temple’s priest Ritsuzan and undertaken severe religious training at Metoba Waterfall in the hills behind the temple. This story connects Josenji with the tradition of Japanese mountain asceticism, in which mountains were regarded as sacred spaces for spiritual practice.
Visitors can find a stone statue of Banryu within the temple grounds, providing a tangible reminder of this connection between the temple and the mountains of Shinshu.
The temple grounds were created by making use of the natural slope at the foot of the mountains. The approach, main gate, bell tower, and other buildings follow the contours of the land rather than imposing themselves upon it.
One of the most charming features is the Kurokawa irrigation canal flowing beneath the main gate. The gentle sound of clear water adds to the tranquility of the grounds and creates a particularly beautiful setting beside the traditional architecture.
In spring, the weeping cherry tree and bell tower form an especially picturesque composition. In autumn, the same bell tower is surrounded by brilliant foliage, giving the temple a completely different character.
Josenji is best known among local visitors for its seasonal flowers, especially its weeping cherry tree. When the branches become covered in pale pink blossoms, the tree creates a striking contrast with the temple buildings and the deep green mountains behind them.
The changing scenery makes Josenji attractive throughout the year. Spring brings cherry blossoms and fresh greenery, summer offers cool mountain vegetation, autumn surrounds the temple with colorful leaves, and winter creates an exceptionally quiet atmosphere.
For photographers, the temple offers particularly beautiful opportunities to capture traditional Japanese architecture framed by seasonal nature.
One of the most important chapters in Josenji’s history is its connection with Wakazawa Temple. Wakazawa Temple was abolished during the early Meiji period as a result of the anti-Buddhist movement known as haibutsu-kishaku.
The present Mizusawa Kannon Hall was created by relocating the Saikoden Hall of the former Wakazawa Temple and rebuilding it around 1895. In this way, Josenji inherited part of Wakazawa Temple’s religious legacy and preserved it for future generations.
The hall houses several valuable Buddhist sculptures, including a bronze bodhisattva in the half-lotus position, a statue traditionally identified as a seated Yakushi Nyorai, and a wooden standing statue of Fudo Myoo.
The Kannon Hall was renovated in 1984. It remains a place of prayer, with local tradition associating Mizusawa Kannon with blessings related to childbirth as well as relief from conditions such as chapped skin and warts.
Josenji is also the 25th temple of the Shinano Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage, continuing the tradition of worship inherited from Wakazawa Temple. The Six Jizo statues standing in front of the temple gate are also traditionally said to have been moved here from Wakazawa Temple.
Josenji has continued to attract pilgrims as the 30th temple of the Shinshu Chikuma Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. It is also associated with the Shinshu Seven Lucky Gods, where it is revered as Tsukimi Hotei, the deity Hotei associated with moon viewing.
The temple’s traditional pilgrimage verse expresses the spiritual character of the place, describing the waters of Mizusawa as cleansing the heart and emphasizing the depth of the temple’s sacred vow.
For visitors from overseas, these traditions offer an opportunity to discover an aspect of Japanese Buddhism that is closely connected with local communities, pilgrimage routes, and the natural landscape.
The approach to Josenji begins with the Niomon gate. From here, visitors encounter the Six Jizo statues and the stone Kannon associated with the 33rd stop of the Matsumoto Kannon pilgrimage.
Further inside, the main gate opens toward the central temple grounds. The stone statue of Banryu Shonin and the collection of one hundred stone Kannon figures dedicated to the ancestors of the Mizuno family add to the site’s historical atmosphere.
Large cedar, pine, and ginkgo trees rise throughout the grounds. Their scale and age emphasize the long history of the temple and create a shaded, peaceful environment for walking.
The temple also preserves traditions surrounding its principal religious treasures. A temple bell cast in 1730 was lost during the Pacific War when it was surrendered for wartime metal collection.
The bell was recreated in 1958 by the sculptor Katori Masahiko, allowing the temple’s bell tradition to continue into the modern era.
The temple’s Thousand-Armed Kannon is traditionally associated with Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, the legendary military leader of the early Heian period. The present golden statue, however, was created by Katori Masahiko in 1956 and is solemnly enshrined inside the temple.
Josenji is not simply a place of religious architecture. The entire temple grounds form a landscape in which buildings, old trees, mountain water, and seasonal flowers are closely intertwined.
In spring, the weeping cherry tree provides the most memorable spectacle. During summer, the surrounding greenery creates a cool and refreshing atmosphere. In autumn, colorful foliage transforms the temple grounds, while winter brings a profound sense of stillness.
This changing scenery is one of the reasons Josenji continues to attract both worshippers and visitors throughout the year.
Josenji is located in Hata, Matsumoto City. From Hata Station on the Alpico Kotsu Kamikochi Line, the temple is approximately a 30-minute walk to the southwest.
The walk itself is part of the experience. Following the quiet mountain-side roads provides a chance to enjoy the natural landscape of western Matsumoto while approaching the historic temple.
Josenji Temple, also known as Mizusawa Kannon, brings together centuries of Buddhist faith, mountain traditions, historic architecture, and seasonal beauty. Its history reaches back to the 16th century, while its connection with Wakazawa Temple preserves an important part of the region’s religious heritage.
The temple’s association with Banryu Shonin provides another link to the sacred mountains of the Northern Alps, while the Kannon pilgrimage traditions connect it with generations of worshippers who traveled through Shinshu.
Yet the most immediate attraction is the beauty of the temple itself. The weeping cherry tree in spring, flowing mountain water, ancient trees, and traditional buildings create a peaceful landscape that changes with every season.
For travelers exploring Matsumoto beyond its famous castle and central streets, Josenji offers a chance to slow down and experience a quieter side of the region—one where faith, history, and nature have remained closely connected for centuries.