Kamakura - 鎌倉
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Kamakura (鎌倉) is a coastal town in Kanagawa Prefecture, less than an hour south of Tokyo.
Kamakura became the political center of Japan, when Minamoto Yoritomo chose the city as the seat for his new military government in 1192. The Kamakura government continued to rule Japan for over a century, first under the Minamoto shogun and then under the Hojo regents.
After the decline of the Kamakura government in the 14th century and the establishment of its successor, the Muromachi or Ashikaga government in Kyoto, Kamakura remained the political center of Eastern Japan for some time before losing its position to other cities.
Today, Kamakura is a small city and a very popular tourist destination. Sometimes called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan, Kamakura offers numerous temples, shrines and other historical monuments. In addition, Kamakura's sand beaches attract large crowds during the summer months. |
Great Buddha of Kamakura - 鎌倉大仏
The Great Buddha of Kamakura (鎌倉大仏, Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 13.35 meters, it is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple.
The statue was cast in 1252 and originally located inside a large temple hall. However, the temple buildings were destroyed multiple times by typhoons and a tidal wave in the 14th and 15th centuries. So, since 1495, the Buddha has been standing in the open air.
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Kotokuin Temple Hours: 8:00 to 17:30 (until 17:00 from October to March) Closed: No closing days Fees: 200 yen Statue Interior Hours: 8:00 to 16:30 Closed: No closing days Fees: 20 yen |
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu - 鶴岡八幡宮
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (鶴岡八幡宮, Tsurugaoka Hachimangū) is Kamakura's most important shrine. It was founded by Minamoto Yoriyoshi in 1063, and enlarged and moved to its current site in 1180 by Minamoto Yoritomo, the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura government.
The shrine is dedicated to Hachiman, the patron god of the Minamoto family and of the samurai in general. The deified spirits of the ancient Emperor Ojin who has been identified with Hachiman, Hime-gami and Empress Jingu are enshrined at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.
1-Dankazura 段葛
2-Taiko-Bashi Bridge 太鼓橋
3-Genpei-ike Pond 源平池
4-Hata-age Benzaiten Shrine 旗上弁財天社
5-Peony Garden 神苑ぼたん庭園
6-Temizuya 手水舎 (The Water Purification Basin)
7-Shimohaiden / Maiden 下拝殿 / 舞殿 (Lower Worship Hall)
8-Sakadaru 酒樽 (Sake Barrel)
9-Koma-inu 狛犬 (Shrine Dog)
10-The Great Ginkgo大銀杏
11-Romon 楼門 (Great Gate)
12-Hongu 本宮 (Main Shrine)
13-Takeuchisha Shrine 武内社
14-Maruyama Inari Shrine 丸山稲荷社
15-Wakamiya Shrine 若宮
16-Shirahata-Jinja Shrine 白旗神社
17-Imamiya Shrine 今宮
18-Soreisha 祖霊社 (Ancestral Shrine)
19-Yui Wakamiya Shrine 由比若宮
To the left of the stairway stood until 2010 a large ginkgo tree, which predated the shrine, and was once used as a hideout in an ambush attack on a shogun. Every autumn, the tree turned beautifully golden, but it did not survive a winter storm in March 2010. At the base of the stairway stands the Maiden, a stage for dance and music performances. Other structures on the shrine grounds include the Wakamiya Shrine, a secondary shrine to the right of the stairway and various auxiliary buildings.
Flanking the main approach to the shrine are two ponds. One pond represents the Minamoto Clan and has three islands, while the other represents the Taira Clan, the Minamoto's arch rivals, and has four islands, as the number four can be pronounced the same as "death" in Japanese. A garden, known for its peonies, surrounds the Minamoto Pond halfway. It is open seasonally in spring and winter and costs 500 yen to enter.
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Hours:
5:00 to 21:00 (from 6:00 from October to March) |
Engakuji Temple - 円覚寺
Engakuji (円覚寺) is one of the leading Zen temples in Eastern Japan and the number two of Kamakura's five great Zen temples. Engakuji was founded by the ruling regent Hojo Tokimune in the year 1282, one year after the second invasion attempt by the Mongols had been reverted. One purpose of the new temple was to pay respect to the fallen Japanese and Mongolian soldiers.
1-Sanmon
山門(Main Gate)
2-Butsuden
仏殿(Main Hall)
3-Senbutsujo
選仏場(Meditation training hall of public)
4-Kojirin
居士林(Meditation training hall of private)
5-Hojo
方丈(House of Monk)
6-Myokochi
妙香池(Pond)
7-Syariden National treasure
舎利殿 (Tooth of Buddha is enshrined)
8-Ogane National treasure
洪鐘 (large bell)
9-Bentendo 弁天堂 and Teahouse 茶屋
Engakuji is built into the slopes of Kita-Kamakura's forested hills. The first main structure encountered upon entering the temple grounds is the Sanmon main gate, which dates from 1783. Behind it stands the temple's main hall, the Butsuden, which displays a wooden statue of the Shaka Buddha. The Butsuden was rebuilt relatively recently in 1964 after the former building was lost in an earthquake.
National treasure
Further into the temple grounds, the Shariden is a beautifully designed hall in which a tooth of Buddha is enshrined. It is designated a national treasure, but can only be seen from a distance during most of the year. Another national treasure found at Engakuji is the temple's large bell (ogane).
It stands on a hill next to a teahouse where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea, amazake (sweet sake) or Japanese sweets in a calm environment.
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Hours: 8:00 to 16:30 (until 16:00 December to February) Closed: No closing days Fees: 300 yen |
Hokokuji Temple - 報国時
Secluded in the hills of eastern Kamakura, Hokokuji (報国寺, Hōkokuji) is a small temple of the Rinzai Sect of Zen Buddhism. Originally founded during the early years of the Muromachi Period, Hokokuji was the family temple of the ruling Ashikaga Clan and was later also adopted as the family temple of the Uesugi Clan.
Appearing rather unassuming as you arrive, the path to the temple leads past a relatively modest gate and through a small garden to the main hall, which was rebuilt in the 1920s after the original building had been lost in the Great Kanto Earthquake. The hall houses a statue of the historic Buddha (Shaka Nyorai), the temple's main object of worship. To the left of the main hall stands a unique looking bell tower with a simple, thatched straw roof, which was also a feature of the original main hall before it had burnt down.
Hokokuji Temple, however, is best known for the beautiful, small bamboo grove found behind the temple's main hall, which lies thick with over 2000 dark green bamboo stalks. A few narrow pathways lead through the bamboo to a tea house where, for a small fee, you can sit and enjoy a cup of matcha tea while enjoying views into the bamboo grove. Also located behind the temple are a series of shallow caves carved into the hillsides, which are believed to hold the ashes of some of the later Ashikaga lords.
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Hours: 9:00 to 16:00 Closed: December 29 to January 3 Fees: 200 yen (additional 500 yen for tea service) |
Komachi-dori Street - 小町通り
Komachi-dori Street spreads from the rotary in front of Kamakura station to the north toward Kamakura Hachiman-gu. According to legend, it started as a market opened in front of the shrine. Today, the street is lined with over 250 restaurants, boutiques, fancy cafes, Japanese-style sweet cafes, and stores selling souvenirs and sundry articles unique to the ancient city. Many side streets branch of from both sides of Komachi-dori Street. Stepping into narrow alleys you will find old Western-style houses with an historic atmosphere and hidden traditional stores. Enjoy discovery while walking around.
Many literary figures lived in Kamakura away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. A coffee shop frequented by great literary figures including Yasunari Kawabata, who was awarded the Nobel
Prize for literature, is still in business. There are also incense stores, an historic restaurant for handmade soba noodles, and retro-inspired French restaurants, for example. They are often
featured in magazines and TV, and attract many tourists and shoppers not only on holidays but also on weekdays, with 18 million visiting annually. Komachi-dori has a kimono rental shop. It is fun
to put on a kimono and look around the ancient city on a rickshaw.