Meigetsu-in（明月院）
Kamakura’s Hydrangea Temple with Zen Roots Meigetsu-in（明月院）is a Zen temple in Kita-Kamakura, best known for its vibrant hydrangea blossoms (ajisai) that draw thousands of visitors every June. The vivid blue flowers fill the temple grounds during the rainy season, earning it the popular nickname Ajisai-dera (Hydrangea Temple). Founded in 1383 during the Muromachi period by […]
Jomyo-ji（浄妙寺）
A Zen Retreat with Ashikaga Legacy and Garden Tranquility Tucked into the eastern hills of Kamakura, Jōmyō-ji stands as the fifth temple of the Kamakura Gozan, the Five Great Zen Temples. Founded in 1188 by Ashikaga Yoshikane, a samurai who served Minamoto no Yoritomo, the temple began as a Mikkyō (esoteric Buddhism) temple named Gokuraku-ji. […]
Hasedera（長谷寺）
Hydrangeas, Kannon, and Ocean Views in Kamakura Nestled in the hills of Kamakura, Hasedera Temple—also known as Hase Kannon—combines sacred history with natural beauty. It is said to be the second oldest temple in the city and serves as the fourth stop on the Kantō thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage. Visitors come not only for spiritual reasons […]
Zuisen-ji (Flower Temple)（瑞泉寺 （花寺））
Kamakura’s Hidden Flower Temple in the Eastern Hills Zuisen-ji, also known as the Flower Temple, is a small temple tucked into the eastern mountains of Kamakura. Its nickname comes from the flower garden in front of the main hall, which many consider the most beautiful in Kamakura. The temple is a branch of Engaku-ji in […]
Hokoku-ji（報国寺）
Kamakura’s Bamboo Temple of Zen and Samurai Legacy Hōkoku-ji is a small Zen temple in Kamakura, world-famous for its bamboo grove of more than 2,000 mōsō bamboos. For this reason, it is also known as Take-dera, the Bamboo Temple. The temple was founded in 1334, shortly after the fall of the Kamakura shogunate. Ashikaga Ietoki, […]
Kencho-ji（建長寺)
Japan’s Oldest Zen Monastery and a Garden of the Mind Kenchō-ji (建長寺) is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan and holds the highest rank among the Kamakura Five-Mountain temples (五山). Completed in 1273 during the Kamakura period (1192–1333), it introduced formal Zen architecture and spiritual practice to Japan on a grand scale. The temple […]
Engaku-ji（円覚寺）
Engaku-ji – Kamakura’s Temple of Perfect Enlightenment Engaku-ji is the second most important Zen temple in Kamakura and one of the great temples of the Kamakura period. It lies just north of the city centre in Kita-Kamakura, where the train station now stands on what once was temple ground. The railway cuts off the entrance […]
Erin-ji（恵林寺）
Zen Gardens and Samurai History Erin-ji Temple in Yamanashi is a quiet yet historically significant Zen temple, surrounded by the peaceful beauty of the mountains. It was founded in 1330, when Nikaidō Sadafuji, the military governor of Kai-no-kuni, invited the renowned Zen priest and garden designer Musō Soseki (夢窓 疎石), also known as Musō Kokushi, […]
Shomyo-ji（称名寺）
A Pure Land Garden Temple in Yokohama Shōmyō-ji（称名寺） is a peaceful Buddhist temple located in Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Founded during the Kamakura period (1185–1333), it originally served as the family temple of the powerful Hōjō clan, who ruled Japan as regents during this era. The temple’s full name is Kanazawayama Shōmyō-ji, and it […]