Kankanji is a large Buddhist temple in the central city of Hakodate. The temple is a short walk from many of the central hotels in the area and can be easily found off the main road. Throughout the year, (as with other temples of the same religious beliefs) special events and festivals are held. This temple is part of the Omotoyama Naritasan Shinshoji. There are eight other temples of the same sect and these can be found in Fukugawa (Tokyo), Kawagoe (Saitama), Sapporo (Hokkaido), Yokohama (Kanagawa), Osaka (Osaka), Nagoya (Aichi) and Fukui (Fukui prefecture).

The Founding Memorial Festival is on the 27th and 28th of July every year. Besides this festival, there are numerous events throughout the year. The main events can be seen on January 1, February 3 brings the Setsubun festival, March 20 (Vernal Equinox Day) Spring equinox memorial service, April 8 is the Flower Festival, June 15 is the Aoba Festival, September 18 (Autumn equinox day) Autumn equinox memorial service. The longest event is from October 1 to November 30 and sees the Shichigosan special prayer meeting. Trinkets, amulets, and beads can be bought at this temple.