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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.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine 鶴岡八幡宮 was founded in 1063, and in 1180, Minamoto no Yoritomo moved this shrine dedicated to the gods of the samurai clans to downtown Kamakura and expanded it. Soon afterward,Yoritomo defeated the Taira clan and established the Kamakura Shogunate, a samurai clan regime, and Hachiman has been the patron deity of the Minamoto clan ever since.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is the most important shrine in Kamakura, and is one of the Three Major Hachiman Shrines in Japan along with Usa Jingu Hachimangu Shrine 宇佐神宮 and Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine 石清水八幡宮 (another saying is Hakozaki Shrine 筥崎宮).

The Main Hall (本宮, Hongu) of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is located at the top of a ramp with sixty steps, and the main shrine is dedicated to the Emperor Ojin, his mother Empress Jingu and his wife Hime-gami.

At the bottom of the stairs is The Dancing Hall (舞殿, Maiden), a place where ceremonial events are held, and it is said that Shizuka Gozen 静御前, mistress of the hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune 源義経, used to dance here. A 1,000-year-old Ginkgo Tree next to the Dancing Hall toppled in a gale in March 2010, but new shoots sprouted from the broken trunk shortly afterward, which became hot news then.

Maiden and Hongu

Near the entrance to the shrine are two ponds called Genpei Ponds, which are a haven for waterfowl and wild ducks. The pond is named after the famous Japanese samurai clans Genji and Heike, and there is also a small island in the Genji Pond on the east side, where a sub-shrine called Hataage Benzaiten Shrine 旗上弁財天社 is located.

Manywhere Trivia:
The two clans, the Minamoto (Genji) and the Taira (Heike), are enemies of a blood feud.

There is a Straight Worship Path in front of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, which runs all the way to Kamakura Beach. The path, lined with cherry blossom trees, has three tall toriis erected, and the distance from the first torii to the main shrine is a surprising 1.5 kilometers.