Daisodō is the main assembly hall for rituals and also the founders’ hall. This hall has 1000 tatami mats and a 3,200 square meter basement hall. The roof weighs 53 tons.
The inside of this hall, is “Dentōin” dedicated to the statues of Dogen zenji, Keizan Zenji. Gasan Zenji, Goin Kaiki and tablets of successive abbots.
There is a calligraphy “Genshin Seppō” by Kohō Zenji which means Keizan Zenji and Gasan Zenji continually teach us truth and lead us in this great hall. We serve to our ancestors as if they were still alive to recompense for their virtues. In 1908, Sojiji relocated from Noto peninsula to Tsurumi Yokohama with the permission of the government, but Daisodō, as a principal building of the Shichido Garan (traditional Monastic complex) had not been constructed for some reason. In March 1965, as a memorial project of Gasan Zenji’s 600 year anniversary, finally this Daisodō was built and inaugurated. The hall is dedicated to Fuzōin temple’s abbot rev. Taigen Sōshin, Myokōan temple’s abbot Rev. Tsugen Jakurei, Tōsen-an temple’s abbot Rev. Mutan Sokan, Denpōan temple’s abbot rev. Daitetsu Sōryo, Nyoian temple’s abbot Rev. Jippō Ryōshu, and successive abbots.
Daisodō was built with a huge amount of donations to realize Keizan Zenji’s teaching “believing in the harmony of ancestors and followers”.
Every morning and evening services and memorial ceremonies for the followers are practiced in the 1000 tatami mat hall.
The traditional teaching of the 3 countries, India, China and Japan is continued in this hall.
Zuiōden
The basement floor of Daisodō is called Zuiōden. It is used for large scale ceremonies like Jukai-e in spring, Goshōki in autumn and as a guest hall at various occasions.
In the lobby there is a poem of the late Keizan Zenji.
“Hattō ni kuwa o sashihasamu hito o miru”.
– I found a person developing in the assembly hall –
The calligraphy was written by the 19th abbot Shōshun Iwamoto Zenji. It also means “Sincerely ascertains the person developing his mind in the assembly hall.”
