Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kita-Kamakura station. It was founded in 1282 to honour victims (on both sides) of
the ultimately unsuccessful Mongolian invasions in 1274 and 1281. The layout follows
a traditional Chinese Zen formula - a pond and bridge (now cut off by the train
tracks), followed by a succession of somewhat austere buildings - but the encroaching
trees and secretive gardens add a gentler touch.
The first building inside the compound, Engaku-ji's two-storeyed main gate
San-mon
,
is a magnificent structure that was rebuilt in 1783 and beneath which the well-worn
flagstones bear witness to generations of pilgrims. Beyond, the modern
Butsu-den
(Buddha Hall) houses the temple's primary Buddha image, haloed in soft light, while
behind it the charming
Shari-den
lies tucked off to the left past an oblong pond. This
small reliquary, usually closed to visitors, is said to contain a tooth of the Buddha
brought here from China in the early thirteenth century. It's also considered Japan's
finest example of Song-dynasty Zen architecture, albeit a sixteenth-century replica. The
main path continues gently uphill to another pretty thatched building,
Butsunichi-an
,
where regent Hōjō Tokimune was buried in 1284; in fine weather green tea is served in
its attractive garden. Finally, tiny
Ōbai-in
enshrines a pale-yellow Kannon statue, but its
best attribute is a nicely informal garden with a grove of Japanese apricot.
On the way out, follow signs up a steep flight of steps to the left of San-mon to find
Kamakura's biggest bell,
Ōgane
, forged in 1301 and an impressive 2.5m tall; the
adjacent teahouse,
Bentendō
(see p.237), is a great place to relax.
Tōkei-ji
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• 1367 Yama-no-uchi • Daily: March-Oct 8.30am-5pm; Nov-Feb 8.30am-4pm • ¥100 •
Treasure House
Tues-Sun
9.30am-3.30pm • ¥300 •
W
tokeiji.com
A short walk along the main road from Engaku-ji,
Tōkei-ji
was founded as a nunnery in
1285 by the young widow of Hōjō Tokimune. It's an intimate temple, with a pleasing
cluster of buildings and a profusion of flowers at almost any time of year: Japanese
apricot in February, magnolia and peach in late March, followed by peonies and then
irises in early June; September is the season for cascades of bush clover. At the back of
the temple, take a walk round the peaceful, mossy cemetery hidden among stately
cryptomeria trees, where many famous and forgotten nuns lie buried.
Tōkei-ji is more popularly known as the
“Divorce Temple”
. Up until the mid-nineteenth
century, when women were given the legal right to seek divorce, this was one of the few
places where wives could escape domestic ill-treatment. If they reached the sanctuary,
which many didn't, they automatically received a divorce after three years according to
traditional temple law. Husbands could be summoned to resolve the dispute or,
ultimately, sign the divorce papers. Some of these documents are preserved, along with
other temple treasures, in the
Treasure House
, including two books detailing the women's
reasons for seeking sanctuary - unfortunately, not translated.
20
Jōchi-ji
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• 1402 Yama-no-uchi • Daily 9am-4.30pm • ¥200
Almost immediately to the south of Tōkei-ji, a sign to the right indicates
Jōchi-ji
, the
fourth most important of Kamakura's great Zen temples, and the start of the wonderful
Daibutsu hiking course (see p.232). Founded by the nephew of Hōjō Tokimune in
1283, Jōchi-ji was almost completely levelled by the 1923 earthquake. Nevertheless,
it's worth walking up the lane to see its beautifully proportioned Chinese-style gate
which doubles as a bell tower. The small worship hall contains a trinity of Buddhas
while, at the back, there's a graveyard, sheltered by a bamboo grove.
Kenchō-ji
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• 8 Yama-no-uchi • Daily 8.30am-4.30pm • ¥300
A five-minute walk southeast of Jōchi-ji, you'll find the greatest of Kamakura's Zen
temples,
Kenchō-ji
, headquarters of the Rinzai sect and Japan's oldest Zen training
