Jochi-ji Temple

Overview

Jochi-ji Temple is a historic temple, one of the five great Zen temples of Kamakura, and has strong ties to the Hojo clan of the Kamakura Shogunate. It was founded in 1281 to commemorate Hojo Munenari, the third son of Hojo Tokiyori, the fifth shogunal regent. Entering through the Kamakura stone-paved approach, you'll see the two-storied bell tower gate. Beyond the gate lies the Undoka-den (butsuden, Buddhist hall), which houses the principal image of the Three Buddhas of the Three Ages. The temple grounds are lush with trees and bamboo groves, and on the undulating, cliff-like sections, numerous horizontally excavated rock-cut caves known as "yagura" in the Kamakura region, house stone Buddhas and pagodas. There are also yagura (caves) enshrining Hotei, one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune of Kamakura-Enoshima, and a Kannon statue, creating a serene space filled with historical atmosphere. Jochi-ji Temple has a particularly deep history among the five great temples of Kamakura. Even after the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate, the temple's influence remained strong, and during the Muromachi period, various halls were built and the temple complex included 11 subsidiary temples. However, from around the mid-15th century, it gradually fell into disrepair, mirroring the decline of Kamakura itself. While it maintained eight subsidiary temples until the end of the Edo period, the majority of the temple was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Today's structures were largely reconstructed during the Showa period. Jochi-ji Temple houses many valuable Buddhist statues, including the "Wooden Seated Statue of Taiko Zenji," a superb example of Kamakura-period sculpture, and the "Wooden Seated Statue of the Three Buddhas of the Three Ages," a mid-Muromachi period work in a style commonly seen in the Kamakura region. The temple grounds also feature historical sites such as "Kanro no I" (Sweet Dew Well), one of the Ten Wells of Kamakura, and a "Hoko-in Pagoda" considered to be the tomb of Ashikaga Sadafusa. Take your time to reflect on Kamakura's history in the temple's tranquil atmosphere.