About Imakita Kosen
Lived 1816 – 1892 (aged 75). Imakita Kosen was a Japanese buddhist monk.
was a Japanese Rinzai Zen rōshi and Neo-Confucianist.
Kosen did his Zen training under Daisetsu Shoen (1797–1855) at Sōkoku-ji and received inka from Gisan Zenkai at Sōgen-ji in Okayama. Kosen was instrumental in bringing Zen to lay practitioners and to the west. Kosen's Dharma heir Soyen Shaku participated in the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, which introduced Soyen Shaku's student D. T. Suzuki to Paul Carus and western Theosophy. Kosen's dharma descendant Tetsuo Sōkatsu established Ningen Zen Kyodan, an independent lay-Rinzai school.
As one-time head abbot of Engaku-ji in Kamakura, Japan, he was known as a government loyalist and is remembered for his support of Emperor Meiji—in the 1870s serving as Doctrinal Instructor for the Ministry of Doctrine.
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Important facts
People in Imakita Kosen's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Imakita Kosen?
Japanese confucianist (1816–1892)
When was Imakita Kosen born?
Imakita Kosen was born on 3 August 1816 in Fukushima.
When did Imakita Kosen die?
Imakita Kosen died on 16 January 1892.
What was Imakita Kosen's occupation?
Imakita Kosen was a buddhist monk.
What nationality was Imakita Kosen?
Imakita Kosen was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Imakita Kosen. https://biography.guide/imakita-kosen/
MLA: "Imakita Kosen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/imakita-kosen/.
Chicago: "Imakita Kosen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/imakita-kosen/.
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