The very remoteness of Tohoku was appealing to such religious groups as the Zen Buddhists, who espouse an ascetic, unworldly life and constructed some of the country's finest Buddhist temples in this northern part of Honshu.
Honshu is home to some of the finest Buddhist temples in all of Japan.
The Lower Basilica was begun in 1228, two years after Francis' death and the year of his canonization, and the frescoes were painted in the 14th century, but a Renaissance porch now precedes the Gothic side entrance.