Issoan
A hermitage in the grounds of Gyoko-ji Temple in Miyuki, Matsuyama, where the free-verse haiku poet Taneda Santoka spent his last months. The current building was rebuilt in 1952, and a monument with Santoka's haiku stands in the garden.
Issoan is a hermitage in the grounds of Gyoko-ji Temple in Miyuki, Matsuyama, where the free-verse haiku poet Taneda Santoka spent the last months of his life.
Santoka and Issoan
Santoka crossed to Shikoku in October 1939 (Showa 14). After making the Shikoku pilgrimage, on December 15 of that year he moved into the hermitage in the grounds of Gyoko-ji through the kindness of friends. Oyama Sumita named it "Issoan". Santoka lived there for ten months and died in the hermitage on October 11, 1940 (Showa 15).
The hermitage today
The current building was rebuilt in 1952 (Showa 27). In spring 2009 (Heisei 21) a rest area and other facilities were built around it; a monument with Santoka's haiku stands in the garden, and plants associated with him have been planted. Nearby Chokenji Temple also has a Santoka haiku monument.
Visiting
- The exterior can be viewed freely every day.
- The interior is open free of charge on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (except December 28–January 4). Opening hours are 9:00–17:00 in February–June and September–October, 9:00–17:30 in July–August, and 9:00–16:30 in November–January.
- On weekdays it can be rented for meetings such as classes.
- There is no parking. It is a 7-minute walk from the Sekijuji-Byoin-mae stop on the Iyotetsu city tram loop line.
Sources: Matsuyama City FAQ: About Issoan, Issoan, Matsuyama City official tourism website Last checked: 2026-10-18
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