TOURS OF KAMAKURA of Japan Walk-Caster_E

KAMAKURA

Kamakura is a delightful hamlet with no fewer than 65 Buddhist temples and 19 shinto shrines. Most were built centuries ago when a warrior named Yoritomo Minamoto seized political power and established his shogunate government in Kamakura back in 1185. Yoritomo selected Kamakura because it was easy to defend the village enclosed on three sides by wooded hills and on the fourth by the sea.

Many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines were built by the Shoguns and their clans to worship and enshrine their tutelary deities, or to console the souls of their ancestors. Some of them still remain and are maintained as part of the historical heritage of Kamakura. Zen Buddhism was brought from China in the late 12th century, and it received followers from among the samurai class and gained the patronage of the Kamakura Shogunate. Meanwhile, the other Buddhist sects such as the Ji sect and Nichiren sect were newly founded in the Kamakura period and preached to the general public. Thus, it could be said that the religious beliefs developed in the Kamakura period were extremely influential in forming Japanese spiritual culture.

　　　Hydrangea flower at Meigetsuin


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The following temples are near JR Kita-kamakura station.

Engakuji (円覚寺). Number two of Kamakura's Five Zen Temples, founded in 1282 to commemorate soldiers who fell fending off the Mongol invasion the previous year. The Shariden building on the grounds is reputed to contain a tooth of the Buddha. Atop a hill near the temple is the temple's large bell and next to it a teahouse famous for its tokoroten (sweet cold noodles) — although foreigners tasting this peculiarly salty and slimy concoction may wonder why.

Meigetsu-in (明月院) is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Kenchō-ji school in Kita-Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. Famous for its hydrangeas, it is known as The Temple of Hydrangeas (Ajisai-dera).

Kenchōji (建長寺). Number one of Kamakura's Five Zen Temples, the oldest in Kamakura (built in 1253) and one of the oldest in all Japan. The temple bell here too has been designated as a National Treasure, and there's a nice Zen garden here as well.

Tōkeiji (東慶寺). A nunnery famous in the feudal days for sheltering abused women, who could obtain a divorce by staying here for three years. Has a large and atmospheric graveyard. Also called "Kakekomidera" (the fugitive temple), it is famous for its ume (Japanese plum).
The artist Isamu Noguchi lived and created ceramics in Kita (North) Kamakura in 1952.

Tour Length: 3 hours or more
Note: Enter the gardens with enough time to finish the tour.

¥315

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