Shokokuji Temple

Shokokuji was founded in 1392 by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and is said to have taken about a decade to complete. Its Dharma hall is the oldest surviving example in Japan, and the ceiling carries Kano Mitsunobu's coiled dragon — clap beneath it and the echo comes back, which earned it the name 'crying dragon.' Past the main gate the approach threads between rows of old pines, and the Jotenkaku Museum on the grounds is well worth the time. Zazen sittings are held on the second and fourth Sunday mornings of the month.