聖福寺は、建久６年（1195）に将軍源頼朝公よりこの地を賜り、栄西禅師を開山として創建された日本最初の禅寺です。後鳥羽上皇より、日本で最初の禅寺である事を意味する『扶桑最初禅窟』の勅号を賜りました。
境内は、創建当初には方八町（約900ｍ四方）、３８の塔頭（現在6院）がありました。しかし、その後の戦乱等により荒廃してしまいました。天正15年（1587）の太閤町割により境内が方四町（約450ｍ四方）に狭められて現在の姿となっています。
勅使門、山門、仏殿、方丈が直線状に並んだ禅宗様式の伽藍配置をとどめる境内は国の史跡に指定されています。
栄西禅師は我が国の茶祖としても知られ、佐賀県脊振山霊山寺の石上坊や当時に茶種をまき、ここから京都府の栂尾や宇治にひろめたといわれています。
スタートからゴールまでの距離は約450mです。
Temple" was constructed by priest Yousai(Eisai), and its first chief priest was Minamoto no Yoritomo. The words “扶桑最初禅窟(The First Zen Temple)” on the frame tablet hung at the entrance of the temple was handwritten by emperor Gotoba. The temple owns variously national designated cultural properties such as the statue of 6th Patriarch Daikan Zenji, and the precincts of the temple is designated as a national historic site for its distinctive arrangement of buildings for a typical Buddhist temple.
The foundation was original, and the precincts had approximately 900m every direction, 38 minor Zen temples (Now 6). However, It have gone to ruin by the later war. The precincts are narrowed by "Taiko-machi-wari" (adjustment of city-lots by Hideyoshi Toyotomi who is King of Japan) for Tensho era 15 years (1587) by approximately 450m every direction, and become the current figure.
The layout remains true to that of a traditional zen temple, with the imperial envoy gate, temple gate, altar, and abbot's living quarters all linearly aligned. The temple grounds are a nationally designated historical site. Yousai (Eisai) is also known for having introduced tea of Japan, and planted seeds on Mt.Sefuri and within the temple grounds.Tea cultivation later spread to Uji and Togano'o in Kyoto
Distance from the start point to the goal point is approximately 450m.