In 2004, Dorothee Eshin Takatsu established Horakuan as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in the Kenchoji line. We began renovations on Horakuan’s main building (formerly a traditional farmhouse) in the same year.

Horakuan is located in the mountains of Suzaka in Japan’s Nagano prefecture. The land on which the Horakuan compound is situated is called Terakubo, referring to Seisui-ji, a former temple on the site which was built in the 15th century. Natural disasters and fires destroyed the flourishing temple. Only the former Kannon statue can be seen now in a small hall nearby.