Hôkaiji

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Hôkaiji is a temple near downtown Kamakura which was built by the later founder of the Ashikaga Shogunate and the Muromachi period, Ashikaga Takauji. Takauji and his clan had fought for Emperor Go Daigo in the Kenmu Rebellion of 1333 which toppled the Kamakura bakufu and restored political power to the emperor even if it only lasted a few years. Takauji was ordered by Emperor Go Daigo to build Hôkaiji as the first of two Tendai sect temples in Kamakura and as the new funerary temple of the Hôjô family following the destruction of the original family temple in the rebellion. The temple still carries the Imperial crest on temple lanterns along walkways around the temple.

For the casual: 4. For the educated: 4.

Hôkaiji is a cool little temple with lots of life in the summer. Healthy plants on the temple grounds fill the empty spaces and bring a very natural feel to the otherwise urban setting. For historians, seek out Tôshôji, which technically no longer exists, but this temple is where all of the Hôjô Regent Lords were buried, and during the siege of Kamakura, it is where many members of the Hôjô family gathered, including the last Regent Lord Takatori, and committed suicide by burning the temple down with them inside. The ruins are semi-recognizable and they are not too far from Hôkaiji.

Paper lanterns adorning the main entrance with a hybrid image of the temple seal with the Imperial chrysanthemum.

The three triangles are the crest of the Hôjô family which can be found just about everywhere in Kamakura.

 

Myohonji

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Myohonji, located in the southeast hills of Kamakura, is a Nichiren sect Buddhist temple. Founded by Nichiren in 1260, it is one of the oldest Nichiren temples in Japan. Further connected to other temples and shrines in Kamakura by a mountain trail, Myohonji is one of the key temples in the area. 

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

Myohonji is a great little temple nestled into the hillside. The monks of the temple take care of the variety of plants on the temple grounds making it one of the most beautiful natural temples I've seen. With a massive main hall and a statue to Nichiren to the left of it, the temple itself is also fairly impressive.

The front gate to the temple at the base of a short flight of stairs.

The main hall of Myohonji.

 

Jôchiji (Kamakura Gozan #4)

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Jôchiji is the 4th of the Kamakura Gozan (see Kenchôji) and was built in 1283 by the Hôjô family to commemorate the untimely death of a Hôjô son. Inside are the Buddhist Trinity of Amida (Past), Shakyamuni (Present), and Maitreya/Miroku (Future). 

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

Jôchiji is a great little temple to visit not too far from Kenchôji and Engakuji, and is in a quiet little area. The people there are extremely nice.

 

Jufukuji (Kamakura Gozan #3)

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Number 3 of the Kamakura Gozan (refer to Kenchôji), Jufukuji is not like most temples. Originally the ancestral home of the Kamakura Period founder Minamoto no Yoritomo, it was converted into a temple by his wife Hôjô Masako after his death. The first head priest of the temple was Eisai, the monk who is noted for formally introducing Japan to Zen Buddhism. Though her husband had passed, Masako was a guiding figure behind the Kamakura leadership from her residence in Jufukuji until she passed. She, along with her son Sanetomo (see Tsurugaoka Hachimangû) were buried on the temple grounds.

For the casual: 5. For the educated: 8.

Jufukuji holds a special place in Kamakura history because of Masako and Eisai, but the temple does not hold the same level of visual prowess that other temples in the area do. Jufukuji is well noted for its long walkway to the temple, but the temple looks like the house that it really is. Also, visitors are welcomed to the temple to collect Goshinchô (see Goshuinchô tab) but entrance to the temple is for private members only. That being said, the walkway and the front garden are beautifully maintained and the monks are very nice.