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Seiken-ji is a [[Rinzai]] [[Zen]] temple of the Myôshinji sect in Okitsu 興津 in [[Suruga province]], just east of [[Sunpu]], now part of [[Shizuoka City]]  of Shizuoka prefecture. It dominates an important point on the [[Tokaido Highway]], and so has been destroyed and rebuilt several times.  

Seiken-ji is a [[Rinzai]] [[Zen]] temple of the Myôshinji sect in Okitsu 興津 in [[Suruga province]], just east of [[Sunpu]], now part of [[Shizuoka City]]  of Shizuoka prefecture. It dominates an important point on the [[Tokaido Highway]], and so has been destroyed and rebuilt several times.  

The temple is believed to have been originally founded in the late 7th century, as a temple associated with, and protecting, the barrier checkpoint at Kiyomi-ga-seki<ref>The "Seiken" of the temple's name (清見) is an alternate reading of the characters for "Kiyo-mi" in Kiyomi-ga-seki.</ref> The temple was re-established as a Rinzai Zen temple in [[1261]], by Zen master [[Muden Shozen|Muden Shôzen]]<!--無伝聖禅-->. The temple was restored once again by [[Shogun]] [[Ashikaga Takauji]] in the 14th century.

The temple is believed to have been originally founded in the late 7th century, as a temple associated with, and protecting, the barrier checkpoint at Kiyomi-ga-seki<ref>The "Seiken" of the temple's name (清見) is an alternate reading of the characters for "Kiyo-mi" in Kiyomi-ga-seki.</ref> The temple was re-established as a Rinzai Zen temple in [[1261]], by Zen master [[Muden Shozen|Muden Shôzen]]<!--無伝聖禅-->. The temple was restored once again by [[Shogun]] [[Ashikaga Takauji]] in the 14th century, and its garden was officially named a "famous site" (''meishô''<ref>名勝</ref>) in the early [[Edo period]].

The temple has been host to many prominent historical figures. According to temple tradition, when he was a child, [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] accompanied his tutor Abbot Taigen Sessai 太原雪斎 on his visits to Seiken-ji.<ref>Statler p. 30; http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/清見寺.</ref> [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] stayed there while his headquarters were being completed for the [[1590]] [[siege of Odawara]]; he is said to have been impressed by the sound of the temple bell, and requisitioned it for use during the campaign. Seiken-ji also saw the visits of shogun [[Tokugawa Iemochi]], who stayed there briefly in [[1862]] while on his way to Kyoto, and of [[Emperor Meiji]], who stayed there [[1869|seven years later]] while on his way to the new capital of Tokyo.

Seiken-ji has also been host to many prominent historical figures. According to temple tradition, when he was a child, [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] accompanied his tutor Abbot Taigen Sessai 太原雪斎 on his visits to Seiken-ji.<ref>Statler p. 30; http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/清見寺.</ref> [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] stayed there while his headquarters were being completed for the [[1590]] [[siege of Odawara]]; he is said to have been impressed by the sound of the temple bell, and requisitioned it for use during the campaign. Seiken-ji also saw the visits of shogun [[Tokugawa Iemochi]], who stayed there briefly in [[1862]] while on his way to Kyoto, and of [[Emperor Meiji]], who stayed there [[1869|seven years later]] while on his way to the new capital of Tokyo.

Seiken-ji maintains an important connection to the [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo]], as it is the site of the grave of [[Prince Sho Ko|Crown Prince Shô Kô]], younger brother to King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]], who died at Okitsu in [[1610]], while a hostage of [[Shimazu Iehisa]] following the [[Invasion of Ryukyu|Shimazu invasion of Ryûkyû]] the previous year. Ryukyuan embassies to Edo customarily stopped to visit his grave during the remainder of the [[Edo period]]. There are records of stops in [[1710]], [[1714]], [[1749]], [[1764]], [[1790]], [[1806]], [[1832]], and [[1850]]. In [[1790]], Prince [[Ginowan Chosho|Ginowan Chôshô]]<!--宜野湾王子朝祥--> (also known as Shô Yô<!--尚容-->) erected a new gravestone next to the original one, both of which still stand today.<ref>''Shirarezaru Ryûkyû shisetsu'' 知られざる琉球使節, Fukuyama-shi Tomonoura rekishi minzoku shiryôkan (2006), 87.</ref> A framed piece of calligraphy by Ginowan Chôshô donated to the temple at that time hangs inside the temple's main hall (''hondô''), along with a number of similar plaques associated with [[Korean embassies to Edo]].

Seiken-ji maintains an important connection to the [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo]], as it is the site of the grave of [[Prince Sho Ko|Crown Prince Shô Kô]], younger brother to King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]], who died at Okitsu in [[1610]], while a hostage of [[Shimazu Iehisa]] following the [[Invasion of Ryukyu|Shimazu invasion of Ryûkyû]] the previous year. Ryukyuan embassies to Edo customarily stopped to visit his grave during the remainder of the [[Edo period]]. There are records of stops in [[1710]], [[1714]], [[1749]], [[1764]], [[1790]], [[1806]], [[1832]], and [[1850]]. In [[1790]], Prince [[Ginowan Chosho|Ginowan Chôshô]]<!--宜野湾王子朝祥--> (also known as Shô Yô<!--尚容-->) erected a new gravestone next to the original one, both of which still stand today.<ref>''Shirarezaru Ryûkyû shisetsu'' 知られざる琉球使節, Fukuyama-shi Tomonoura rekishi minzoku shiryôkan (2006), 87.</ref> A framed piece of calligraphy by Ginowan Chôshô donated to the temple at that time hangs inside the temple's main hall (''hondô''), along with a number of similar plaques associated with [[Korean embassies to Edo]].