Erin-ji Temple — Takeda Clan Temple and Rock Garden

Erin-ji Temple, located in the mountains east of Kofu, served as the family temple of the Takeda clan during the Warring States period. The temple was established in 1330 but gained prominence when Takeda Shingen made it the official Takeda mortuary temple in the 16th century. The temple's main hall houses memorial tablets for Takeda Shingen and his generals, and the cemetery contains graves of over 20 Takeda samurai who fell in battle.

The temple's greatest treasure is its rock garden (枯山水, karesansui), attributed to the legendary monk-designer Muso Soseki. The garden uses white gravel raked into wave patterns to represent water, with carefully placed rocks symbolizing mountains and islands. The garden is designed to be viewed from the temple's veranda — the perspective creates depth through layered rock placements, and the borrowed scenery (shakkei) incorporates the surrounding mountains into the composition. In spring, the temple grounds fill with cherry blossoms and azaleas; autumn brings intense maple foliage.