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It is believed to have been founded during the reign of King [[Sho Taikyu|Shô Taikyû]], or by his son, King [[Sho Toku|Shô Toku]], for the purpose of Shô Taikyû's memorial service. The first abbot of temple was Xīshān Zhōuyōng, a [[Zen|Chan]] Buddhist master from [[Zhejiang province]]. The temple later became a branch temple of [[Tenkai-ji]].

It is believed to have been founded during the reign of King [[Sho Taikyu|Shô Taikyû]], or by his son, King [[Sho Toku|Shô Toku]], for the purpose of Shô Taikyû's memorial service. The first abbot of temple was Xīshān Zhōuyōng, a [[Zen|Chan]] Buddhist master from [[Zhejiang province]]. The temple later became a branch temple of [[Tenkai-ji]].

The temple was originally located on the banks of the Shuri Kubagawa, but was moved to its current location in [[1674]] during the reign of King [[Sho Tei|Shô Tei]]. It was destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, but has since been rebuilt.

The temple was originally located on the banks of the Shuri Kubagawa, but was moved to its current location in [[1674]] during the reign of King [[Sho Tei|Shô Tei]], and was used on a number of occasions as the site of the training camp for musicians & dancers preparing for [[Ryukyuan missions to Edo]].<ref>Miyagi Eishô 宮城栄昌, ''Ryûkyû shisha no Edo nobori'' 琉球使者の江戸上り, Tokyo: Daiichi Shobô (1982), 60. </ref> The temple was destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, but has since been rebuilt.

One of the temple's bells was originally cast in [[1456]], for the temple [[Tenryu-ji (Okinawa)|Tenryû-ji]], founded in that year by [[Kaiin]]<!--芥隠-->. The temple was later abandoned, and the bell moved to [[Tenno-ji (Okinawa)|Tennô-ji]], then to Ankokuzen-ji. In 1944, the bell was donated to the war effort, to be melted down and used to produce war materiel; however, it was discovered relatively undamaged in 1962 in [[Tottori prefecture]], and was returned to Okinawa.<ref>Gallery labels at Okinawa Prefectural Museum, August 2013.</ref>

One of the temple's bells was originally cast in [[1456]], for the temple [[Tenryu-ji (Okinawa)|Tenryû-ji]], founded in that year by [[Kaiin]]<!--芥隠-->. The temple was later abandoned, and the bell moved to [[Tenno-ji (Okinawa)|Tennô-ji]], then to Ankokuzen-ji. In 1944, the bell was donated to the war effort, to be melted down and used to produce war materiel; however, it was discovered relatively undamaged in 1962 in [[Tottori prefecture]], and was returned to Okinawa.<ref>Gallery labels at Okinawa Prefectural Museum, August 2013.</ref>