Serving as the home temple for generations of Iiyama feudal lords, Chuonji is a burial place for the Matsudaira and Honda clans. The temple's black Buddha statue was given to Honda Hirotaka by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate government (1600 - 1868). Although normally hidden from view, the Buddha can be viewed by the public on August 15th each year.The ceiling is decorated by an intricate painting of a dragon, which is said to glare in eight directions at once. Visitors to the temple will notice that the dragon's eyes appear to follow them to any point in the room. It is also believed that the dragon can summon rain, protecting the temple from fires.