is a Buddhist temple in located in the town of Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Belonging to the Myà Âshin-ji branch of Rinzai school of Japanese Zen, its honzon is a statue of Shà  Kannon Bosatsu. The temple's full name is Shà Âtà  Seiryà «zan Zuigan Enpuku Zenji (æ¾島éÂÂé¾Âå±±çÂÂå·ÂÃ¥ÂÂç¦Â禠寺), but it was commonly known as "Matsushima-dera". It was founded in 828 during the Heian period by Jikaku Daishi. In commemoration of the haiku poet Matsuo Basho's pilgrimage in 1689 during the early Edo period, the Basho Festival is held annually at the temple on the second Sunday of November.
The temple claims to have founded as a Tendai sect temple by order of Emperor Junna in 828 in the Heian period. However, written records from this time are scarce, and this legend relies on the Nanboku-chà  period Tendai-ki as evidence. During the late Nara period and early Heian period, after the establishment of a centralized government under the Ritsuryà  system, the imperial court sent a number of military expeditions to what is now the Tà Âhoku region of northern Japan to bring the local Emishi tribes under its control. Numerous temples were built in the region at this time, many of which are attributed to Jikaku Daishi. The Tendai-ki further states that the temple was patronised by the Northern Fujiwara clan. Priests from Zuigan-ji met with Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and later with Minamoto no Yoritomo during the Battle of à Âshà « to destroy the Northern Fujiwara at Hiraizumi. The temple also houses a letter claiming to be from Hojo Masako addressed to the monk Kenbutsu, along with a Buddhist relic donated by Masako, encased in a stupa-shaped crystal container, both of which are of questionable authenticity. However, what is known from archaeological evidence is that in the Heian period the site of the current temple was a salt furnace, thus it was impossible for a temple to have existed at this location at that time.
During the Kamakura period, under Hà Âjà  Tokimune, the temple changed from Tendai to Rinzai Zen, with Rankei Dà Âryà « has its head priest and came to a patronised by the samurai class. Both the Tendai-ki and Zen-sect records give dramatic accounts of this conversion, which involved the use of military force and the violent expulsion of the Tendai monks from the temple. As a Zen temple, it was initially ranked as one of the Kantà  Jissetsu. However, a fire left the temple in ruins by the end of the Sengoku period. Around 1573, under the 93rd abbot, Jitsudo, the temple became affiliated with the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect. During the Edo period, it was rebuilt by Date Masamune from 1604 to 1609 using lumber brought from Mount Kumano in what is now Wakayama Prefecture and skilled workmen from Kyoto and Kii Province. The temple's surviving buildings from that reconstruction reflect the flamboyant Momoyama style. In the Edo period the temple flourished under the protection of the Date clan, successive daimyà  of Sendai Domain. A theory exists that the temple was reconstructed to be Date Masamune's hidden fortress, and as Date Masamune planned to invite the Emperor to Zuigan-ji once he overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate, he constructed a room called the Kamijodan no Ma, where the Emperor could place his throne.
Following the Meiji restoration, most of the temple's territory was confiscated by the Meiji government, and with the loss of income, many of its buildings fell into disrepair and were eventually lost. However, in 1918 the Crown Prince (the future Emperor Taisho) visited the temple and in 1947, Emperor Hirohito also made a visit. The Main Hall, which was completed in 1609, was designated a National Treasure in 1953, and the temple many other cultural assets, including buildings. A museum opened in 1974 and houses approximately 30,000 items, including artifacts unearthed during excavations. Major repairs to the temple buildings were conducted from 2008 to 2018. Due to its protected location in Matsushima Bay, the temple escaped severe damage during the 2011 TÃ Âhoku earthquake and tsunami, although there was some damage to the gardens.
The temple is five minutes on foot from Matsushima-Kaigan Station on the JR East Senseki Line, 20 minutes on foot from Matsushima Station on the JR Tohoku Main Line.