Kenchō-ji Audio Guide

Kenchō-ji: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Kenchō-ji

   Welcome to Kenchō-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple in Kamakura, in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is a little over an hour from Tokyo, and about a fifteen-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station. It ranks first among Kamakura's Five Great Zen Temples, known as the Kamakura Gozan, and it is described as the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan. The temple was founded in the thirteenth century, when Kamakura was the seat of the samurai government. The shogunate's regents brought in a Chinese monk to build something new here: a place where Zen was practiced as a full monastic discipline. You are standing in the grounds of a place that has been training monks for more than seven centuries. Over the next few minutes we will look at the founding story, the great gates and halls, the ancient trees and the bell, and the path that climbs the hillside behind the temple. We will also stop for a bowl of soup that is said to have been born in this very monastery. Take your time; this is a temple built for slowing down.

2. 02

   A Monastery Born of Regents and a Chinese Master

   Kenchō-ji was established in 1253, and its story begins with two people. One was the regent Hōjō Tokiyori, the real power behind the shogunate, who funded the project between 1249 and 1253. The other was the Chinese monk Rankei Dōryū, also known as Lanxi Daolong, who became its founder. Together they created Japan's first dedicated Zen training center. The temple was modeled on Chinese Chan monasteries. Its large communal halls and elaborate gates show Chinese architectural influence, and its layout is said to copy the Zen headquarters at Hangzhou. Kenchō-ji later rose to the top of the Gozan, the Five Mountain System, a network of Zen temples begun by the Hōjō regents. In Kamakura the five were Kenchō-ji, Engaku-ji, Jufuku-ji, Jōchi-ji and Jōmyō-ji. All five still stand, but Kenchō-ji remains the most prominent. There is an older layer under the monastery too. One account says the temple was built on a former execution ground called Jigokudani, Hell Valley, where a temple to the bodhisattva Jizō once stood. Zen here was never only about quiet sitting. Visitors have described it as a discipline used for education, diplomacy and training samurai in mental clarity.

3. 03

   Ancient Trees, a National Treasure Bell and Sacred Halls

   Walk the approach and you meet the temple's oldest residents. These towering trees were brought here as saplings from Southern Song China by the founder, Rankei Dōryū. They are now over 760 years old and about 7 meters around the trunk. They link the temple directly to its Chinese beginnings. On the right side of the approach hangs the temple bell, cast in 1255 and designated a national treasure. It is counted among the Three Famed Bells of Kamakura, alongside the bell at Engaku-ji, also a national treasure, and the one at Jōraku-ji, the oldest in the city. The main hall is the Butsuden, the Buddha Hall, an Important Cultural Property. It was moved to Kamakura in 1647 from Zōjō-ji in Tokyo. Inside sits a seated statue of the bodhisattva Jizō. In the Hatto, the Dharma Hall, look up. The ceiling carries a striking painting of a cloud dragon. Goshuin, the temple stamps, are available from major buildings including the Karamon Gate and the Butsuden.

4. 04

   Tengu, Mountain Views and Gentle Rituals

   Behind the main buildings the temple climbs the hillside, and this is where it surprises you. A steep path lined with stone statues of tengu, the legendary mountain beings, leads up to Hansōbō, which enshrines Hansōbō Daigongen, a guardian deity believed to protect against fire and misfortune. Twelve tengu statues line the way. At the top, an observation deck looks over Kamakura, Yuigahama and Sagami Bay, and on clear days Mount Fuji. This higher ground was once the temple's Inner Sanctuary, and it is reached by the steep stairs that begin near the Jizō-dō. Further along the garden, beside a lake, stands Kaishun-in. This remote little temple was built in 1334 and enshrines a statue of Monju Bosatsu. From the heights, a small stone torii marks the start of the Tenen Hiking Trail, which winds through the forest toward the eastern part of Kamakura. Two observances give the temple a distinctive character. Every year on the fifteenth of July, during Obon, Kenchō-ji holds the Sanmon Kajiwara Segaki-e. The usual funeral rites take place under the Sanmon gate, and they are then repeated for the soul of the samurai Kajiwara Kagetoki, who died in the turmoil after the death of Minamoto no Sanetomo. On the fourth of June a ceremony honors insects, and the quiet Mushizuka, the Insect Memorial Mound, reminds visitors of the creatures that share our world.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Before you go, think about what a visit here can offer beyond sightseeing. Kenchō-ji still offers zazen, seated meditation, in weekly sessions that welcome beginners. There is also sutra copying, open through the day, for anyone who wants a quieter way to engage with the temple. Then there is the soup. Kenchin-jiru, a hearty broth of tofu and vegetables with stock made from shiitake mushrooms and kombu kelp, is now familiar across Japan. It is believed to have originated at this temple, where it was called Kenchō-jiru. The on-site café Tenshin-an serves it, so you can taste a little of the monastery's kitchen. As you wander, notice how many of the temple's stories began in China. Look at the layout of the gates and halls, at the old trees, and at the way the buildings step up into the forest. Keep an eye out for the small details that suggest there is always one more path to follow, and let the hillside decide how far you go.