Engaku-ji Temple

Address: Engaku-ji, 409 Yamanouchi, Kita-Kamakura, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0001, Japan

Website: http://www.engakuji.or.jp

Hours: Daily 8:00am-4:30pm (verify seasonally)

Admission: Adult admission approx. ¥300-¥500 (typical range)

Engaku-ji is a major Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, founded in 1282 following the Mongol invasions and established with support from the Kamakura regent Hōjō Tokimune. The temple is one of the principal Zen complexes in Kamakura and retains a sequence of historic buildings and gardens.

Key structures include the main gate (Sanmon), the main Buddha hall (Butsuden) and a reliquary hall, set within wooded grounds that are linked by stone paths. The complex contains historic bells, statues and ancillary halls and is arranged along a gentle hillside with several small courtyards.

Engaku-ji was constructed as both a memorial to those who died in the Mongol campaigns and as a centre for Zen practice and instruction; the temple has been rebuilt and repaired over centuries after fires and earthquakes. Today it remains an active temple and a popular site for visitors exploring Kamakura’s medieval religious architecture.

The temple sits near Kita-Kamakura Station on the northern edge of Kamakura, within easy walking distance from other historic Zen temples in the area and a short train ride from central Yokohama and Tokyo.

• Foundation: Founded in 1282 by Hōjō Tokimune with the Chinese monk Mugaku Sogen and associated with the Rinzai Zen tradition; it is one of Kamakura’s major Zen temples.

What to See#

• Sanmon and Butsuden: The main Sanmon gate and the Butsuden (Buddha hall) are central structures within the temple complex and form the primary visitor circuit.
• Shariden (reliquary hall): The Shariden or reliquary hall, which houses sacred objects and is part of the temple’s principal temple buildings dating from later rebuilds.
• Grounds and connecting trails: Temple sub-complexes and walking paths that connect to nearby hillside trails, linking Engaku-ji with other Kamakura Zen temples.

Engaku-ji is a ten-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line (one stop from Kamakura Station). From Tokyo, take the JR Tokaido or Yokosuka Line to Kamakura and transfer one stop to Kita-Kamakura.

• Arrive by 8:30-9:00am to see the temple grounds before tour groups arrive from Kamakura Station.
• Enter through the Sanmon gate and take the stair that leads to the main complex for the classic view of the main hall framed by cedar trees.
• Pay attention to the teahouse and smaller sub-temples; these quieter corners show the daily life of a large Zen establishment.