Reverend Myocho Yamamoto started Jogan-ji in Sao-Paolo in 1972. She was born in Hokkaido, Japan in 1923. At the age of eleven the family immigrated to Brazil as one of the plantation settlers.

At the age of thirty-eight, she suddenly received a revelation of Fudomyoo, or Acala, a Buddhist diety. She then began to channel the Fudomyoo's spiritual power throughout her body. Hearing about her spiritual power, people begain to visit her temple wanting to receive the merits and healing of Acala through her.

In 1972, her husband Tsurumatsu Yamamoto visited a temple located in his hometown in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. His visit was to see the famous Buddha image, called "Kihara Fudoson" or Kihara Acala enshrined there. After meeting the chief priest, he earnestly asked the priest's permission if he could take the newly created "Kihara Acala" to Brazil. Mr. Yamamoto finally returned to Brazil with the new statue of Acala, and immediately began to build a main hall to enshrine the Buddha.

In 1975, Mrs. Takeno Yamamoto visited Japan, and received her Buddhist name Myocho at Kihara Fudoson, and became a Tendai priest.

In April 1979, a group of Tendai Buddhists from Japan visited Jogan-ji to celebrate the dedication of hte main all.

In November 1997, the temple observed the 25th anniversary of the founding of Jogan-ji.

The congregation includes 7000 Japanese Brazilians and 3000 Indios, Latinos, and Portugese. At present the chief priest's daughter, Reverend Myosei Yamamoto, serves as an assistant priest and devotes herself to propagating Buddhism in her new perspectives.