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 […]
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 […]