Sogenji is a Soto Zen temple in Yugawara with a history entwined with the famous hot spring resort. Travelers seeking cures at the baths also sought spiritual comfort here. Yugawara's literary fame — Soseki Natsume, Doppo Kunikida, and Bokusui Wakayama all stayed in the town — adds cultural significance to this serene temple with beautiful autumn foliage.

Sogenji is a Soto Zen temple said to have been founded around 1450 (Hotoku 2), enshrining Shakyamuni Buddha as its principal image. The Soto school spread widely across Japan's provinces during the Muromachi period, and the temple is believed to have brought Zen teachings to the Yugawara area. Throu…