TSUNETOMO YAMAMOTO shaved his head and became a Buddhist priest because his master MITSUSHIGE had passed away on May 16, 1700. He changed his name to “kyokuzan jouchou” and seclude himself to a hermitage at this place, so called choyouken(later it was so called sojyuan), for praying to the Buddha for the repose of MITSUSHIGE’S soul.

10 years later, "TSURAMOTO TASHIRO", who was a samurai of the same NABESHIMA Clan, visited the hermitage of JOUCHOU at March 5th 1710. He was looking for a mentor of his life. It was a starting the historic and destined encounter. He continued to visit “JOUCHOU”'s hermitage　for 7 years and compiled “Hagakure Kikigaki”, which had a 11 volumes, in 1716.

Now, there is a monument, which builded in 1935 that was a 235years later he moved in this place. Behind the monument, there are two HAIKU engraved that “JOUCHOU” and “TSURAMOTO” exchanged each other when they met in the first time.
“UKIYOKARA NANNRI AROUKA YAMAZAKURA.” by JOUCHOU
“SHIRAKUMO YA TADAIMA HANANI TAZUNE AI.” by TSURAMOTO