Kamakura-gû

November 24, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Shrine

Kamakura-gû is actually a fairly new shrine being founded in 1869 following the Meiji Restoration, when the Emperor of Japan regained political power for the first major period since the Heian period which ended in the late 12th century. Kamakura-gû is dedicated to the Imperial Prince Morinaga who fought in 1333 in the siege of Kamakura by the forces of Emperor Go Daigo. Morinaga however was killed by his own men in the confusion of battle and became a tragic tale of the Imperial family. Kamakura-gû is known for two figurines that ward off evil: a red wooden head of a lion and a simple white statue of a samurai.

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 7.

As a fan of the Kamakura bakufu ("tent" government) and a dislike of Emperor Go Daigo who ended it, I laughed at the stories of Morinaga. I know it's very dark to think such things, but I can't help but think that there could have been a different scenario that led to his death besides "being killed in the confusion". Either way, the shrine is a cool place to visit. Off the beaten path from much of Kamakura, Kamakura-gû is a quaint little shrine with lots of beautiful bamboo, trees, and flowering plants. Kamakura-gû is the only place where I saw a good luck practice of smashing small ceramic cups against stone; it was so much fun because it's not everyday you get to break things for luck.

Zeniarai Benzaiten

November 04, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Shrine

Zeniarai Benzaiten is a shrine in the hills above Kamakura where visitors can wash money for good luck. Zeniarai literally means "coin washing" and it is believed that the value of whatever you wash will be doubled. The shrine was founded by Minamoto no Yoritomo after he had a dream that Benzaiten, one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, appeared in his dreams and ordered him to construct the shrine. The shrine was opened on the day of the snake, in the month of the snake, in the year of the snake, and Benzaiten is associated with snakes.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 8.

This shrine is a little hard to get to because it's off of the main roads in town and the hill it's up is fairly steep, but once there, there are numerous small shrines to various deities. Even after the shrine is closed, there are still little bamboo-weave bowls for you to wash your money in. To wash your money, visitors enter the shrine cave where a wash bed is set up for money washing. If you happened to wash paper bills, there are drying stations where you place your money on top and the heat dries the money. Make sure you carry the money with you so that the good luck effects are put to use. To complete the cycle of good luck, the idea is to spend that special money on something important to you. I spent my money on a beautiful hand carved wooden bowl.

Waiting at the drying station for money to dry.

My friend Tulga improvising a purification thing because apparently washing the money in holy water wasn't enough.

Goryô Jinja

November 03, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Shrine

Located near Hase-dera and Jojuin in Kamakura, Goryô Jinja is a small shrine dedicated to a prominent warrior in the late Heian period and early Kamakura period. The warrior's name was Gongoro Kagemasa and was known to the people of Kamakura as Gongoro-sama.

For the casual: 5. For the educated: 5.

Since Goryô Jinja is in between Gokurakuji and Hase-dera, it's a great little shrine to stop by and check out. Decorated with arrow motifs, the shrine is clearly in honor of a warrior. Getting there is easy except for the occasional timing with the local trains that cross the path to the shrine only feet before the first tori gate. Though it's small and off the beaten path, I really enjoyed the environment of this shrine. It was incredibly peaceful and liberating to be in the shade of beautiful trees. As the seasons change there are flower gardens at the shrine which bring this small shrine into a hidden gem. The train as well was something fun to play with since crossing the tracks felt like crossing into a different realm, making the shrine feel just a little bit more unique. Be careful though, there are bells to signal that a train is approaching, but there are no barriers to stop you. So please play close attention to your surroundings when crossing.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangû

October 16, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Shrine

The biggest shrine and also the easiest to find in Kamakura, Tsurugaoka Hachimangû has played as an important center to the city. Standing at the north end of the main drag, Tsurugaoka stands high above the trees and the surrounding buildings with tori gates lining the drag to the sea. The shrine was founded in 1063 by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and then later moved to its present location in 1180 by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura period (1180-1333 C.E.). In 1219, Tsurugaoka was the site of the end of Yoritomo's line when his son Sanetomo, was assassinated on the stairs of the shrine by his nephew, Kugyô, who wanted to become the shogun. Four hours later, Kugyô was executed and thus the ruling line ended. The Kamakura government was led from that point on by Yoritomo's wife Hôjô Masako and her family, and because they were not related to Yoritomo by blood, they refused the title of shogun and thereby the Kamakura period is not referred to as a shogunate.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 9.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangû is a beautiful shrine with gardens and ponds filled with all sorts of life. As a warrior shrine, the good-luck charms and iconography are centered around warriors. During matsuri (festivals), warrior demonstrations like mounted archery are performed. Currently a seed of the previous sacred tree at the shrine is growing next to the stairs of the shrine. Be sure to go to the top of the stairs to get a great view of the ocean, the city, and Mt. Fuji if the weather permits.