The largest thatch roofed temple in Japan

Shoboji Temple in the City of Oshu, Iwate, Japan is the single most largest thatched roof temple in Japan. Built in 1348, Shoboji Temple was one of the three head temples of the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism. Until the early Meiji period, there were 200 trainee monks at the temple. Even today, many monks still undergo rigorous daily ascetic training at Shoboji, which is one of 25 Soto sect monk training halls in Japan.