Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
monastery. More formal than Engaku-ji and a lot less peaceful, largely because of the
neighbouring high school, Kenchō-ji contains several important buildings, most of
which have been relocated here from Tokyo and Kyoto to replace those lost since the
temple's foundation in 1253. The design of the layout shows a strong Chinese
influence; the founding abbot was another Song Chinese émigré, in this case
working under the patronage of Hōjō Tokiyori, the devout fifth regent and father of
Engaku-ji's Tokumine.
The main complex begins with the towering, copper-roofed
San-mon
, an eighteenth-
century reconstruction, to the right of which hangs the original temple
bell
, cast in
1255 and considered one of Japan's most beautiful. Beyond San-mon, a grove of
gnarled and twisted juniper trees hides the dainty, nicely dilapidated
Butsu-den
. he
main image is, unusually, of Jizō (the guardian deity of children) seated on a lotus
throne, his bright, half-closed eyes piercing the gloom. Behind is the
Hattō
, or lecture
hall, one of Japan's largest wooden Buddhist buildings. The curvaceous Chinese-style
gate,
Kara-mon
, and the
Hōjō
hall beyond are much more attractive structures. Walk
round the latter's balcony to find a
pond-garden
generally attributed to a thirteenth-
century monk, making it Japan's oldest-surviving Zen garden, though it's been spruced
up considerably. Behind the Hōjō entrance, a path heads up the steep steps past
Hansōbō
, a shrine guarded by statues of long-nosed, mythical
tengu
; this is the start of
the
Ten'en Hiking Course
(see below).
Ten'en Hiking Course
ఱԂϋΠΩϯάίʔε
It takes roughly ninety minutes to complete the five-kilometre
Ten'en Hiking Course
from Kenchō-ji, which loops round the town's northeast outskirts to Zuisen-ji (see
p.232). For a shorter walk (2.5km), you can cut down earlier to Kamakura-gū, via
Kakuan-ji (see p.232).
20
Ennō-ji
ԁԠࣉ
• 1543 Yama-no-uchi • Daily 9am-3.30pm • ¥200
On the other side of the road from Kenchō-ji,
Ennō-ji
looks fairly insignificant, but
inside its hall reside the red-faced King of Hell, Enma, and his ten cohorts. his
ferocious crew are charged with deciding the appropriate level of reincarnation in your
next life and their wonderfully realistic expressions are meant to scare you into better
ways. The statues are actually reproductions - the originals are in safekeeping in the
National Treasure Hall (see opposite), but usually only one is displayed there, whereas
here you get to see the whole gang.
From Ennō-ji it's only another five minutes through the tunnel and downhill to the
side entrance of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū (see opposite).
ZAZEN
Zazen
, or sitting meditation, is a crucial aspect of Zen Buddhist training, particularly among
followers of the Rinzai sect. Several temples in Kamakura hold public
zazen
sessions at various
levels, of which the most accessible are those at Engaku-ji and Kenchō-ji. These hour-long
sessions are free and no reservations are required, though it's best to check the current
schedule with the temples or Kamakura tourist o
ce (see p.236) before setting out, and you
should get there at least fifteen minutes early. Though non-Japanese speakers are welcome,
you'll get much more out of it if you take an interpreter.
Engaku-ji
T
0467/22-0478. In the Butsu-den (daily:
April-Oct 5.30-6.30am; Nov-March 6-7am) and in the
Hōjō, or abbot's hall (2nd & 4th Sun of month at 10am).
Kenchō-ji
T
0467/22-0981. In the Hōjō (Fri & Sat
5-6pm).
