also: ござん
five great Zen temples; Gozan
Refers to the historical ranking system of the five most important Rinzai Zen temples in Kyoto and Kamakura. Rare term, mainly encountered in historical or religious contexts.
The Kyoto Gozan are Tenryū-ji, Shōkoku-ji, Kennin-ji, Tōfuku-ji, and Manju-ji.
Gozan literature, the literary works produced in the Gozan temples.
Standard kanji spelling for the historical temple ranking system.
Alternate reading, less common than ごさん.
From 五 (five) + 山 (mountain/temple). The term originated in China and was adopted in Japan during the Kamakura period to designate the top-ranking Zen monasteries.