Kikkosan Ryushoji Temple is located in Gifu City’s Nishinosho district. It’s an ancient, Buddhist temple of the Jodo sect founded in the 14th century, during the Nanbokucho period. According to temple legend, it was founded by the Buddhist priest, Chitsu, after Emperor Go-Kogon and his chief officer, Yoshimoto Nijo, converted to the Jodo faith. After this, Ryushoji Temple was run while maintaining close ties with the emperor, the Nijo family, Oda Nobunaga, and the Tokugawa Shogun family, etc. This part of history can be gleaned from one of the most impressive collections of ancient documents in Gifu Prefecture. Additionally, among accumulated Buddhist paintings are valuable works that date back to the Kamakura period and the Nanbokucho period. Visitors can unearth a piece of Gifu’s history, from the Middle Ages to early-modern times, by taking a look through Ryushoji Temple’s treasures.