Koyasan Buddhist Temple

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Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin, also known as Koyasan Buddhist Temple, is a Japanese Buddhist temple in the Little Tokyo district of Downtown Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1912, it is one of the oldest existing Buddhist temples in the North American mainland region. The temple is a branch of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism and is the North America regional headquarters for the school.HistoryThe temple was founded by the Reverend Shutai Aoyama, a native of Toyama Prefecture, who was sent by the Koyasan headquarters to establish a global link in Shingon Buddhism in America. Initially facing personal hardship in establishing a temple in his inaugural arrival, he founded the temple in 1912 with the assistance of Issei and Nisei temple members, and established its first location in a storefront in 1912 near Elysian Park. In 1920, the temple was moved to a larger building on Central Avenue. A tree was planted in front of the new building by Koyasan Temple members to commemorate the move. The Aoyama Tree is a notable landmark in Little Tokyo was given historical status by the Los Angeles City Council in 2008. The Japanese American National Museum stands at Koyasan's second location.