Shofukuji Temple — First Zen Temple in Japan

Shofukuji, founded in 1195 by the monk Eisai after returning from Chinese Song Dynasty, is the first Zen Buddhist temple established on Japanese soil. Eisai also brought back tea seeds from China and planted them in the Hakata hills — a dual legacy that gave Japan both its primary Buddhist sect and its defining beverage. The temple grounds, occupying a full city block behind the hotel district, contain buildings that have burned and been rebuilt multiple times but maintain an austere Rinzai design unchanged since the Kamakura period.