| Daiji-ji 大慈寺 | |
| Location: | 1-7-1, Noda, Minami-ku, Kumamoto Kumamoto Prefecture 861-4114 |
| Coordinates: | 32.7333°N 130.6893°W |
| Religious Affiliation: | Sōtō |
| Country: | Japan |
| Founded By: | Kangan Giin |
| Year Completed: | 1278 |
Daiji-ji (大慈寺), also known as Daijizen-ji (大慈禅寺), is a Sōtō Zen Buddhist temple in Minami-ku, Kumamoto, Japan. Its honorary sangō prefix is .
The temple was founded in 1278 by Kangan Giin with support of Kawashiri Yasuaki (川尻泰明), the local chief.[1] [2] Kangan Giin, a disciple of Dōgen and the founder of the Higo school of Sōtō Zen Buddhism. It has long been known as the leading Sōtō Zen temple in Kyushu.[3] The local scenery resembles that of Dàbēi shān (大慈山) in Mingzhou now Ningbo, China, where Giin practiced Zen Buddhism discipline.[3]
This temple has since been destroyed twice in the fire caused by war, and nothing of Giin's remains remain there. The current buildings are the Edo-period Hondō dating to 1779.[3]
The bronze bell, a 169 centimeter tall inside the main gate was built in 1269.[3]