Located in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture, Sōun-ji Temple is a Zen temple of the Rinzai school. Its solemn and dignified architecture is closely tied to the dramatic history of the Sengoku period. The temple was founded in 1521 by Hōjō Ujitsuna as a place to honor his father, the renowned Sengoku-period warlord Hōjō Sōun.
Hōjō Sōun is considered one of the pioneers of the Sengoku era. Amidst the turmoil of warring states, he gradually gained control over the Hakone region and laid the foundation for his descendants to establish a stable domain. With the rise of the Hōjō clan, Sōun-ji also flourished—its grounds are said to have once extended as far as the present-day Hakone-Yumoto Station area.
The temple's most iconic feature is its kare-sansui (dry landscape) garden, which is believed to have been constructed by Sōun’s youngest son, Hōjō Gen'an, during the same period. The garden showcases the quintessential style of a Zen temple garden.
However, in 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched a campaign against the Hōjō clan and successfully captured Odawara Castle. Hōjō Ujimasa committed suicide, and Ujinao was exiled, marking the end of Hōjō rule. Sōun-ji was destroyed in the ensuing conflict and remained dormant for a long period.
Although the Hōjō clan lost its political power, its bloodline continued. Ujimasa’s younger brother Ujichika and nephew Ujikatsu survived and began the temple’s reconstruction in the early 17th century. Starting in 1672, the temple became the burial site for five generations of the Hōjō family, including Sōun, Ujitsuna, Ujiyasu, Ujimasa, and Ujinao—serving as an important place of remembrance for future generations.
Today, the ancient forest on the slope behind the temple quietly shelters these old graves, adding a profound sense of tranquility to the site. Sōun-ji remains not only a place of Zen practice but also a witness to the rise and fall of the Hōjō clan and an important chapter in Japan’s Sengoku history.
