Built in 1806 by the Edo shogunate, Tojuin Temple is known as one of the Three Government Temples of Ezo. The others are Zenkoji Temple in Date City’s Usu Town and Kokutaiji Temple in Akkeshi Town. Among these public temples built in Ezo (the old name for Hokkaido), Tojuin Temple served the vast area to the west of the Hidaka Mountains. It was closed in 1885 due to the collapse of the shogunate, but was revived 12 years later and remains in operation thanks to the hard work of local residents.

Hardly any of the original Tojuin Temple building remains due to several relocations and renovations, but a valuable statue of Buddha thought to have been created during the Kamakura period (1185 – 1333) is enshrined in the main hall. Accounts made by the temple’s chief priests and other old documents have been collectively designated as a National Important Cultural Property under the name of Old Documents held by Tojuin Temple, and are displayed and stored at Samani Folk Museum.