also: ござん
noun
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.
京都五山は、天龍寺、相国寺、建仁寺、東福寺、万寿寺である。
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.
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.