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Choshoji and Naoki Sanjugo: The Sea-Facing Zen Temple of the Naoki Prize Namesake and Its Hand-Brushed Goshuin

Choshoji in Tomioka, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, is the Rinzai temple where Naoki Sanjugo, namesake of the Naoki Prize, rests in the sea-facing Zen grave he wished for. Enshrining Hotei of the Kanazawa Seven Lucky Gods, it is known for goshuin hand-brushed by the resident priest.

| Samurai History

Choshoji in Tomioka, Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, is the Rinzai (Kenchoji-branch) temple where the writer Naoki Sanjugo (1891-1934) — namesake of the Naoki Prize — is buried. Honoring his wish for “a sea-facing Zen grave,” his tomb was moved here from the nearby Keisanji temple. The temple also enshrines Hotei of the Kanazawa Seven Lucky Gods and preserves a legend of its stolen Amida image returned by a curse. Many visitors are moved by the goshuin hand-brushed on the spot by the resident priest. A few minutes’ walk from Tomioka Station, it pairs well with nearby Keisanji, Seto Shrine, Tomioka Hachimangu, and the head temple Kenchoji. Last updated: June 4, 2026.

The main hall of Choshoji, a Rinzai Kenchoji-branch temple in Tomioka, Yokohama

Photo by あきとし。 / Toku

A charming stone tanuki statue beside the Choshoji temple marker at the gate

Photo by あきとし。 / Toku

The precinct signboard marking the grave of Naoki Sanjugo, namesake of the Naoki Prize

Photo by あきとし。 / Toku

The "Tomioka-zan" plaque on the main hall, bearing the mountain name of Choshoji

Photo by あきとし。 / Toku

Naoki Sanjugo (1891-1934), the popular novelist after whom the Naoki Prize is named

Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

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Taketoki（たけとき）

Samurai History

Toku editorial team — samurai history. Insists on primary sources and castle-layout diagrams, walking battlefields from Yoritomo's Izu exile sites to the late-Edo battlegrounds.

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History truly comes alive when you visit in person. Choose your next destination from the related sites and pilgrimage courses below.

A Rinzai Kenchoji-branch temple enshrining Hotei on the Kanazawa Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage — a legend tells how stolen Amida was returned by divine curse

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