The Meigetsu-in was founded in the year 1160 as "Meigetsu-an" （Bright Moon Hermitage） by Yamanouchi Tsunetoshi 山ノ内经俊 for the repose of the soul of his father Toshimichi， who died in the Battle of Heiji the previous year. In 1256， Hojo Tokiyori chose this site for the construction of a Buddhist temple called Saimyo^ji （northwest of present-day Meigetsu-in）. At the age of 30， Tokiyori entered the Buddhist priesthood under the name Kakuryo^bo^ Dosu^ 觉了房道崇. When he died seven years later he composed the following poem in while in the sitting meditation posture.
For 37 years.
I held the mirror of karma high.
Now with a smash I break it to pieces.
And the Great Path falls away.
Saimyo^ji later became the predecessor of a new temple called "Fukugenzan Zenko^ko^sho^zenji" （Zenko^ji） founded by Hojo Tokiyori's son Tokimune. The first abbot was Misshitsu Shugon 密室守严， fifth-generation dharma successor to Zen Master Daikaku， founder of Kencho^ji Temple. In 1380， Shogun Ashikaga Ujimitsu ordered his assistant Uesugi Norikata to promote Zenko^ji by constructing new buildings， expanding the grounds and establishing subsidiary temples. During his stint as third shogun， Ashikaga Yoshimitsu ranked Zenko^ji first among the ten great Buddhist temples of the Kanto region. Meigetsu-an， meanwhile， was changed in name to Meigetsu-in and designated a subsidiary of Zenko^ji. The main image of worship is Kannon Bodhisattva， the diety of compassion. An old collection of illustrations called "Meigetsuin Ezu" gives a glimpse of the temple in its heyday. Zenko^ji Temple was abolished soon after the Meiji Restoration （1867）， and only Meigetsu-in remains to the present day. It belongs to the Kencho^ji Branch of the Rinzai Zen Sect.