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Originally a Tendai temple, Iwayaji was later revived as a Soto Zen nunnery in the quiet hills of Yamashina. It is known as the temple where Oishi Kuranosuke, leader of the 47 ronin, devoted himself during his period of hiding in Yamashina before the famous raid; personal effects and letters of Oishi are preserved in the precinct. Fans of Chushingura (the loyal retainers\' story) come as pilgrims …

Iwayaji is traditionally said to have been founded in 782 (the first year of the Enryaku era), with some accounts associating its origins with Tendai Buddhism and the activities of the monk Saicho. The details of its history through the medieval period remain largely unclear, though it continued to …