Kamakura

Kamakura is a coastal city in southern Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, adjacent to Sagami Bay. A thousand years ago, Kamakura was the political center of the Kamakura Shogunate, Japan’s first samurai regime. The city is home to many historical sites, including the Great Buddha of Kamakura, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, and Kencho-ji Temple.

Base of the Shogunate

At the end of the 12th century, the Minamoto clan (源氏) established the Kamakura Shogunate after the victory in Genpei War (源平合戦) against the Taira clan. In 1180, Minamoto no Yoritomo (源赖朝) moved Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine to the city of Kamakura, and the Hachiman god enshrined there became the guardian deity of the Minamoto clan.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine

Patron Deities for Samurais

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine was founded in 1063 and moved to its present location by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1180. Inside the shrine are buildings such as the Main Hall, the Maiden Hall, and the Genpei Ponds, which are named after the famous Minamoto and Taira clans.

A Thriving Buddhist Capital

The city of Kamakura is home to many Buddhist temples and relics, the most famous of which is the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Located in the Kodoku-in Temple in Hase (長谷) district, this bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha stands 11.3 meters tall and is a pivotal figure in the history of Japanese Buddhist art.

Great Buddha Of Kamakura / Kotokuin

800 Year Old Bronze Nyorai

The Great Buddha of Kamakura occupies a pivotal place in the history of Japanese Buddhist art, which began in 1252 during the Kamakura period and has characteristics of Chinese Buddhist statues from the Song Dynasty. At 11.3 meters tall and weighing about 121 tons, this bronze sitting statue of Amitabha Buddha is the second largest in Japan.

A large number of Chinese monks went to Japan during the 150 years of the Kamakura Shogunate. The “Kamakura Five Mountains (鎌倉五山)”, which refer to five high-ranked Zen Temples in Kamakura, were built during this period. Today the most famous temples in Kamakura, Kencho-ji Temple (建長寺) and Enkaku-ji Temple (円覚寺), are the top two of the Kamakura Five Mountains.

Kenchoji Temple

Southern Song Style Zen Temple

Kencho-ji Temple, the first of the Five Zen Mountains in Kamakura, was built in 1253 by the Chinese monk Rankei Doryu, who was invited by Hojo Tokiyori. The temple is one of the earliest Zen temples in Japan, and the layout of the temple is modeled after that of the Song Dynasty, with the Somon Gate, the Sanmon Gate, the Buddha Hall, the Dharma Hall, and the Abbot's Quarters all along one axis.

Engakuji Temple

Temple of Perfect Enlightenment 

Engaku-ji Temple is ranked second among Kamakura's Five Mountains, and is the head temple of the Rinzai sect of the Engaku-ji School of Zen Buddhism, which was founded by Hojo Tokimune in 1282 and is dedicated to Shakyamuni with a Jeweled Crown. The temple is home to Japanese national treasures such as the Great Bell and the Reliquary hall.