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The temple was a branch temple of Engaku-ji, the chief Rinzai temple in the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|kingdom]], which was located just outside the grounds of [[Shuri castle]]. The grounds of Sôgenji covered more than 1230 ''[[tsubo]]'', following a layout with a Chinese flavor, but surrounded by a distinctively Ryukyuan stone wall. When Chinese investiture envoys came to the kingdom, before visiting the castle, they would take part in a ceremony here at Sôgenji in honor of the previous kings. The main buildings of the complex were arranged in a square around an open plaza; entering via the gates to the south and proceeding north, one would first encounter the ''zendô'', or "front hall." Passing through it, one comes to the central plaza, flanked by a West Building (西庁) and East Building (東庁), and with the main shrine (正廟) straight ahead to the north. It was within this building that all the kings of Ryûkyû, from [[Shunten]] to [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]], were enshrined, more in the manner of a Chinese Confucian or Daoist temple than that of a Buddhist temple. The ''kuri'' (monks' quarters) was located just east of the main shrine building, north of the East Building.
The temple was a branch temple of Engaku-ji, the chief Rinzai temple in the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|kingdom]], which was located just outside the grounds of [[Shuri castle]]. The grounds of Sôgenji covered more than 1230 ''[[tsubo]]'', following a layout with a Chinese flavor, but surrounded by a distinctively Ryukyuan stone wall. When Chinese investiture envoys came to the kingdom, before visiting the castle, they would take part in a ceremony here at Sôgenji in honor of the previous kings. The main buildings of the complex were arranged in a square around an open plaza; entering via the gates to the south and proceeding north, one would first encounter the ''zendô'', or "front hall." Passing through it, one comes to the central plaza, flanked by a West Building (西庁) and East Building (東庁), and with the main shrine (正廟) straight ahead to the north. It was within this building that all the kings of Ryûkyû, from [[Shunten]] to [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]], were enshrined, more in the manner of a Chinese Confucian or Daoist temple than that of a Buddhist temple. The ''kuri'' (monks' quarters) was located just east of the main shrine building, north of the East Building.
Many of the temple's buildings were declared [[National Treasures]] in 1933, but were then destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, leaving only sections of the stone walls/gates intact.
Each time that [[Chinese investiture envoys]] came to Ryûkyû to invest a new king, a ''yusai'' memorial ceremony would be held at Sôgen-ji mourning the spirit of his late predecessor. The ''[[ihai]]'' memorial tablet would be placed out, along with offerings for the spirit of the late king, before which the new king would then perform a full ''[[kowtow]]'' (three kneelings, nine bows). The Ming or Qing lead and vice-envoys would then light incense in front of the memorial tablet and make an offering of liquor. Another Ming/Qing official would then read out a formal memorial statement, and then ritually burn the document. Finally, the heads of the investiture mission would perform a partial (one kneeling, three bows) ''kowtow'' toward the memorial tablet. This was followed by a formal banquet.<ref>"Sappôshi kankei chôsai ni tsuite"「冊封使関係調査について」, ''Fee nu kaji'' 南ぬ風 5 (2007/10-12), 14.</ref>
Many of the temple's buildings were declared [[National Treasures]] in 1933, but were then destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, leaving only sections of the stone walls/gates intact. Some restoration work was undertaken in the early 1950s, the first major project to restore cultural properties damaged in the war.<ref>Tze May Loo, ''Heritage Politics: Shuri Castle and Okinawa's Incorporation into Modern Japan, 1879-2000'', Lexington Books (2014), 159.</ref>
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