The temple founded in 1380 by Nikaidō Sadafuji, the shugo of Kai Province, who invited the noted Zen prelate Musō Soseki from Kanagawa to build a hermitage on his property. Due to the fame of Musō Soseki, it became the center for the dissemination of Rinzai teachings in Kao Province, and was name one of the Kantō Jissetsu by ShogunAshikaga Yoshimitsu. However, the temple fell into ruin during the Onin War. It was revived in the Sengoku period by Takeda Harunobu in 1541. Takeda Shingen made Kaisen Joki head priest in 1564. In 1582, Kai Province was invaded by an alliance between Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Eirin-ji was accused of sheltering Rokkaku Yoshisuke, and the temple was completely destroyed. After Tokugawa Ieyasu became master of Kai Province, he ordered that the temple be rebuilt and in 1672, memorial services for Takeda Shingen were held. The temple continued to honor its connection with the Takeda clan through the Edo period and even after the Meiji restoration. Most of the Edo period structures were lost in a fire of 1905.
Cultural properties
Important cultural properties
Erin-ji Gate
The Erin-ji Gate is a wooden gate with four pillars and a cypress-shingle roof, built in 1606. It is the oldest remaining structures of the temple. It was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan on August 28, 1907
The Tachi an Edo period Japanese sword, with a length of 79.5 cm. It was made in 1705 and donated to the temple by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu on the occasion of the 133th memorial services for Takeda Shigen. It was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan on March 26, 1915.
''Tantō'' Japanese sword
The Tantō a Nanboku-chō period Japanese sword, with a length of 27.4 cm. It was made in 1367 and donated to the temple by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu on the occasion of the 133th memorial services for Takeda Shigen. It was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan on March 26, 1915.
The Japanese garden at Erin-ji located behind the main hall of the temple was designed by Musō Soseki when he was 56 years old, and can be considered a prototype for similar gardens he designed for Saihō-ji and Tenryū-ji in Kyoto. The garden covers approximately 2270 square meters, and contains a number of large stones, a pond with a small stream and a small waterfall, with the mountain in back forming part of a "borrowed landscape". It was designated as a National Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan on June 6, 1994.
