Shōkoku-ji was founded in the middle
Muromachi period. Initial construction of the central temple structures was begun in 1383, and the entire temple complex was initially dedicated in 1392. In the eighth month of the third year of
Meitoku, Yoshimitsu organized a great banquet attended by all the great officers of the Imperial court and the military leaders of that time. The pomp and ceremony of the affair was said to have equaled an Imperial event. In 1383, the Zen master (1311–1388) was designated by Yoshimitsu as founding abbot; however, Myōha insisted that the official honor be posthumously accorded to his own teacher,
Musō Soseki. The formal decision to grant this posthumous honor was proclaimed in 1385. The entire temple complex was destroyed by fire in 1394, but reconstruction financed by Yoshimitsu followed soon after. The temple complex has been rebuilt many times over the centuries, notably during the
Onin War. After the
Muromachi period, Shōkoku-ji was supported by several national leaders such as
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, his son
Toyotomi Hideyori, and
Tokugawa Ieyasu, all of whom helped finance the temple’s various reconstruction projects. • Hideyori financed the 1605 reconstruction of the
Hattō (Dharma Hall); and this structure, designated as an
Important Cultural Property, is presently the oldest building of its type in Japan. • Ieyasu donated the
Sanmon (Mountain Gate) in 1609. •
Emperor Go-Mizunoo donated an imperial palace building to serve as the
Kaisando (Founder’s Hall). Other buildings were reconstructed during this period, but, with the notable exception of the 17th-century hatto, the temple complex was largely devastated during the conflagration of 1788. Some structures, including the
Hojo and the
Kuri, were later rebuilt in the 19th century. == Dragon ==