Zuisen-ji is one of the most beautiful temples in Kamakura. Formerly ranking second of the ten leading monasteries of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism, it was erected at the end of the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) by Do-un Nikaido (1267-1334), a high-ranking and intelligent military commander of the Kamakura Shogunate, naming Priest Muso (1275-1351) as the founding priest.

In addition to Zen, Priest Muso also had an excellent talent as a garden designer.
Famous gardens designed by him include those of Saiho-ji, or. the Moss Temple, and Tenryu-ji in Kyoto. Most notable among the temples he founded would probably be the world-famous Ryoan-ji and Rokuon-ji, generally known as Kinkakuji (Gold Pavilion) in Kyoto.