Kauai Soto Zen Temple Zenshuji

In need of a moment of Zen? Visit the Kauai Soto Zen Temple Zenshuji, one of the very first temples of its kind to be built in Hawaii. Established in 1903, it began as a humble one-room building until the adjacent Soto Mission Japanese School and minister’s residence were added. The temple and school served many of the Japanese immigrants who not only brought skilled labor to the islands, but some also brought their Zen Buddhist traditions which teaches the virtues of peace, kindness, and the preservation of nature. The ornate statues and altar decorations at the temple are not only lovely to behold, but they hold important symbolic significance to followers of the faith.