Kōshū Itabashi

Kōshū Itabashi
Title	Zenji（閑月即心） Kancho (Religion)
Personal
Born	Nagaoki 1927 Japan
Died	5 July 2020 Japan
Religion	Zen Buddhism
Nationality	Japanese
School	Sōtō
Education	Tohoku University Naval Academy of Japan
Senior posting
Teacher	Genshū Watanabe Giyen Inoue
Based in	Sojiji
Predecessor	Ryūtan Matsumoto
Successor	Genshū Imamura

Kōshū Itabashi (板橋 興宗, Itabashi Kōshū, 1927 – 5 July 2020) was a Sōtō Zen master who was the 23rd abbot of Sojiji, abbot of Gotanjoji in Takefu, Fukui, and abbot of Daijoji in Kanazawa, Ishikawa all in Japan.

He was born in Tagajo, Miyagi in 1927. He graduated from the Naval Academy of Japan in 1945. He also graduated in religious studies at Tohoku University in 1953. He became a Sōtō Zen monk according to Genshū Watanabe. He was trained in Sojiji and he studied under Giyen Inoue in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka.

He succeeded Ryūtan Matsumoto in Daijoji and became Tanto Roshi of Sojiji leading monks. He became Godo Roshi of Sojijisoin, abbot of Daijoji. He also devised chair Zazen.

He was elected vice abbot of Sojij, and became the 23rd abbot of Sojiji and Sotozen Superintendent Master (Kancho) in 1998.

He retired as abbot of Sojiji in 2002. He became abbot Sojijisoin. And he was revived Gotanjoji.

Works

• Ryokan and Dogen (Kounsha, 1986)
• Breath of Life (Shunjusha, 2008)
• Thank you (Samgha, 2009)
• Breathing Buddha（Kadokawa, 2011）
• With a Soft Heart (Northern Press,2012)
• Living like a cat (Nigensha, 2013)
• "Atarimaedeii"（Rissho Koseikai Pub., 2015）

References

• I only know I'm satisfied （with Prof. Dr. Hideho ARITA, Kosei Pub. 2008）