Showing 1-11 of 11 results
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Engaku-ji
Engaku-ji is on the left as you exit Kita-Kamakura Station. It is one of the five main Rinzai Zen temples in Kamakura. Engaku-ji was founded in 1282, allegedly as a place where Zen monks might pray for soldiers who lost their lives defending Japan against Kublai Khan. Today the only real reminder of the temple's former magnificence and antiquity is the gate San-mon, a 1780 reconstruction.
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Ennō-ji
Across the road from Kenchō-ji is Ennō-ji, which is distinguished primarily by its collection of statues depicting the judges of hell. Presiding over them is a statue of Emma (Sanskrit name: Yama; an important cultural property), an ancient Hindu deity and ruler of the hell's 10 kings. The statue is noted for its fierce gaze meant for the wicked (hopefully you won't have anything to worry about).
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Hase-dera
About 10 minutes' walk from the Kamakura Daibutsu, Hase-dera, is one of the most popular temples in the Kantō region, also known as Hase Kannon.
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Hōkoku-ji
Down the road (away from Kamakura Station) from Sugimoto-dera, on the right-hand side, Hōkoku-ji is a Rinzai Zen temple with quiet, landscaped gardens where you can relax under a red parasol with a cup of Japanese tea. This is also one of the more active Zen temples in Kamakura, regularly holding zazen (Soto-school meditation) classes for beginners. Take a bus from stop No 5 at Kamakura Station (¥190, 10 minutes) to Gyōmyōji.
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Jōchi-ji
A couple of minutes further on from Tōkei-ji is Jōchi-ji, another temple with pleasant grounds. Founded in 1283, this is considered one of Kamakura's five great Zen temples, prized for its moss-covered entry, its bell tower and for the flowers that seem to explode here each spring.
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Kamakura Daibutsu
The Kamakura Daibutsu is at Kōtoku-in temple. Completed in 1252, it is Japan's second-largest Buddha image and Kamakura's most famous sight. It was once housed in a huge hall, today the statue sits in the open, the hall having been washed away by a tsunami in 1495. Cast in bronze and weighing close to 850 tonnes, the statue is 11.4m tall.
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Kenchō-ji
Continuing towards Kamakura along the main road from Jōchi-ji, on the left you'll pass the turn-off to this temple, the first-ranked of the five great Zen temples. Founded in 1253, Kenchō-ji once comprised seven buildings and 49 subtemples, most of which were destroyed in the fires of the 14th and 15th centuries. However the 17th and 18th centuries saw its restoration, and you can still get a sense of its splendour. Today, Kencho-ji functions as a working monastery with 10 subtemples.
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Sugimoto-dera
The small Sugimoto-dera founded in AD 734, is reputed to be the oldest in Kamakura. Its ferocious-looking guardian deities and a statue of Kannon are its main draw. Take a bus from stop No 5 at Kamakura Station to the Sugimoto Kannon bus stop.
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Tōkei-ji
Tōkei-ji, across the railway tracks from Engaku-ji, is notable for its lush grounds as much as for the temple itself. On weekdays, when visitors are few, it can be a pleasantly relaxing place.
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Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū
Further down the road, where it turns towards Kamakura Station, is Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, the main Shintō shrine of Kamakura. It was founded by Minamoto Yoriyoshi, of the same Minamoto clan that ruled Japan from Kamakura. This shrine's sprawl, with elongated paths, broad vistas and lotus ponds, presents the visitor with an atmosphere drastically different to the repose of the Zen temples clustered around Kita-Kamakura Station.
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Zuisen-ji
The grounds of this secluded Zen temple, Zuisen-ji make for a pleasant stroll and include Zen gardens laid out by Musō Kokushi, the temple's esteemed founder. It is possible to get there from the Egara Ten-jin shrine on foot in about 10 to 15 minutes; turn right where the bus turns left in front of the shrine, take the next left and keep following the road. From Zuisen-ji you can access the Ten-en Hiking Course.
Showing 1-11 of 11 results
