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.

 

Fukagawa Fudo-do

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Founded in 1882 in Tokyo's Koto Ward, Fukagawa Fudo-do, also called the Fukagawa Fudo-son, is a branch temple of the well known Narita-san Shinshoji close to Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture. This temple is dedicated to the fearsome guardian deity Fudo Myô, a half naked being with a fearsome face, an aura of fire, and sword to smite demons. Within the Fudo-do is the main wooden effigy to the guardian deity but also one thousand more enshrined within a hallway. The modern building to the left of the main hall is covered in Sanskrit letters, connecting the temple to the origins of Buddhism in India. 

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

Make sure you hang around to see the ceremonies called goma where the head priest lights a fire an blesses objects like talismans, purses, and other items by placing them over the flame to be purified (they're not actually burned in any way). These ceremonies happen several times a day and the main hall at Fukagawa Fudo-do is one of the most beautiful ones I've been to. It's not very traditional because it's more like a theater than a prayer space, but it does allow visitors to really see what takes place in these ceremonies. Enjoy!

 

Eitaiji

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A small temple on the eastern side of Tokyo in the Koto ward, Eitaiji is run by a group of funny old monks who love visitors. Given the temple's small size, it's a great place to visit because not many will be there. 

For the casual: 3. For the educated: 3.

Eitaiji is at a disadvantage because it is next to a major temple and a major shrine which diminishes its overall importance. I enjoyed going to this temple regardless of whether or not it was really an important temple because the people there were so nice. Little shops lined the street and the temple seemed like it was a hangout point for the locals. Check it out if you're there.

An image of the street with Fukagawa Fudo-do in the distance.

 

Taiyûinbyô

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Taiyûinbyô is a part of the Rinnôji temple complex in Nikko and is known for the mausoleum of the third Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Iemitsu was the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and it was his wish that his grandfather be memorialized in the most lavish complex of the time, Nikkô Tôshôgû, while he was laid to rest in his own more humble hall nearby. Taiyûinbyô, like Nikko Tôshôgû, was never supposed to be have a specific religious affiliation and included a combination of both Buddhist and Shinto beliefs, but Iemitsu's complex was made into a temple because Nikko Tôshôgû was made a shrine in the Meiji period of the late 19th early 20th century when the government declared that Buddhism and Shinto are separate beliefs and need separate buildings. 

For the casual: 10. For the educated: 10. 

Iemitsu's mausoleum is very grand, but compared to Nikko Tôshôgû it truly is very humble. There are fewer buildings, the complex is in the hills behind Nikko Futarasan Jinja, and there is only one hall despite the three gates and two story pagoda which houses his remains. That being said, it’s not like this complex is some small little thing. Like Nikkô Tôshôgû, Taiyûinbyô is filled with lavish carvings, multitudes of gold leaf, and wonderful popping colors. This temple is a massive success in the visions of Iemitsu because the focus is on the complex he commissioned for his grandfather, while his own resting place is off to the side yet boasts the same visual spectacle befitting a shogun of the 17th century. The main hall of Taiyûinbyô is a hall to Amida Buddha while the mausoleum is up the hill to the right. Unlike Nikkô Tôshôgû which allows visitors access to the resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, visitors are not allowed to climb the steps to see Tokugawa Iemitsu, likely because of the short but beautiful gate marking the entrance.

One of three gates to Taiyûinbyô main hall.

The entrance to Taiyûinbyô with the actual mausoleum up the hill to the right.