The word Taya can be traced back to the days of Rennyo Shonin (1414-1499) and means places of accommodation set up round a temple where followers can stay and study Buddhism. In the case of Shogyoji a number of followers moved into the temple or settled round about it in order to attend morning and evening service, thus spontaneously forming a number of Taya houses, both big and small. Nowadays over one hundred people, young as well as old, are living together inside the temple like one great big family.