 It was the "bodaiji" of the Imagawa clan, a powerful Sengoku period "daimyō" clan.The temple is noted for its Japanese garden, which is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty; however, the temple is only open to the public for two days each autumn, and it is not possible to view this garden other than during that period.Rinzai-ji was founded in 1536, by Imagawa Ujichika for his son, Imagawa Yoshimoto, on the site of a villa owned by his mother at the base of Shizuhata Castle.