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Kenchō-ji (建長寺) is a
Rinzai The Rinzai school (, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng), named after Linji Yixuan (Romaji: Rinzai Gigen, died 866 CE) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism, along with Sōtō and Ōbaku. The Chinese Linji school of ...
Zen Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...
temple in
Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...
,
Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, which ranks first among Kamakura's so-called Five Great Zen Temples (the ''Kamakura Gozan'') and is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan.English pamphlet from Kenchō-ji These temples were at the top of the
Five Mountain System The system, more commonly called simply ''Five Mountain System'', was a network of state-sponsored Chan (Zen) Buddhist temples created in China during the Southern Song (1127–1279). The term "mountain" in this context means "temple" or "mona ...
, a network of Zen temples started by the Hōjō
Regents In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
. Still very large, it originally had a full
shichidō garan ''Shichidō garan'' is a Buddhism in Japan, Japanese Buddhist term indicating the seven Dō (architecture), halls composing the ideal Buddhist temple compound. This compound word is composed of , literally meaning "seven halls", and , meaning " ...
and 49 subtemples. It was founded by Chinese monk
Lanxi Daolong Lanxi Daolong ( zh, t=蘭溪道隆, s=兰溪道隆, first=t, p=Lánxī Dàolóng, w=Lan-hsi Tao-long; ; c. 1213–1278), born in Sichuan Province, China in 1213 A.D. (Southern Song dynasty), was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, ideali ...
, also known as Rankei Doryū, of the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
at the invitation of
Hōjō Tokiyori was the fifth shikken (regent of shogun) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. Early life He was born to warrior monk Hōjō Tokiuji and a daughter of Adachi Kagemori, younger brother of Hōjō Tsunetoki, the fourth shikken, and grandson of ...
. The temple was constructed on the orders of
Emperor Go-Fukakusa was the 89th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years 1246 through 1260. This 13th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Ninmyō and ''go-'' (後), translates literal ...
and completed in 1253, fifth year of the Kenchō era, from which it takes its name. The sangō is Kofukusan (巨福山).


Kenchō-ji and the shogunate

Kamakura Regent Hōjō Tokiyori was the temple's main patron during its early years. The sponsorship was spiritual (he was close to a Zen master himself) as well as political: the Kamakura Gozan, organization of which this temple was head, had an important role in the
shogunate , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
's organization. The system, to which the Ashikaga added a series of five temples in Kyoto called the ''Kyoto Gozan'', was adopted to promote Zen in Japan however, there as it had already happened in China, it was soon controlled and used by the country's ruling classes for their own administrative and political ends.Dunn (2007) The Gozan system allowed the temples at the top to function as ''de facto'' ministries, using their nationwide network of temples for the distribution of government laws and norms, and for the monitoring of local conditions for their military superiors. The Hōjō first, and the Ashikaga later were therefore able to disguise their power under a religious mask, while monks and priests worked for the government as translators, diplomats and advisers. Under their masters' patronage, Kenchō-ji and the Five Mountain temples gradually became centers of learning and developed a characteristic literature called the Japanese Literature of the Five Mountains.Dumoulin (2005:151-156) During the Japanese
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, its scholars exerted a far-reaching influence on the internal political affairs of the country. The Gozan system finally declined with the dissolution of the Ashikaga shogunate which had sponsored it. Kenchō-ji's own renaissance came in the 19th century under the guidance of Zen master Aozora Kandō.


Buildings and points of interest

Kenchō-ji originally consisted of a ''shichidō garan'' with 49 subtemples, but most of these were lost in fires in the 14th and 15th centuries. It still is a classic example of a Zen '' garan'' with its buildings aligned north to south. The complex currently consists of ten subtemples. Its most important structures include (in order from the first gate): *The
Sōmon is the gate at the entrance of a Buddhist temple in Japan.Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version It often precedes the bigger and more important ''sanmon A or is the most important mon of a Japanese Zen Buddhist t ...
(outer gate), where the ticket booths are, which was moved here from the Hanju Zanmai-in temple in
Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
. *The
Sanmon A or is the most important mon of a Japanese Zen Buddhist temple, and is part of the Zen '' shichidō garan'', the group of buildings that forms the heart of a Zen Buddhist temple.JAANUS It can be often found in temples of other denominations ...
(Main Gate), built in 1754 with donations from all over the
Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...
. According to a popular legend, a raccoon dog (a '' tanuki'') helped raise the money transforming himself into a monk to repay the kindness of the temple's priests. For this reason, even today the ''sanmon'' is often called . *The Bonshō (Temple Bell), cast in 1255, which is a
National Treasure A national treasure is a structure, artifact, object or cultural work that is officially or popularly recognized as having particular value to the nation, or representing the ideals of the nation. The term has also been applied to individuals or ...
. *The
Butsuden Main hall or Main Temple is the building within a Japanese Buddhist monastery compound ('' garan'') which enshrines the main object of veneration.Kōjien Japanese dictionary Because the various denominations deliberately use different terms, thi ...
(lit. Buddha Hall), an Important Cultural Property which was moved to Kamakura from
Zōjō-ji is a Jōdo-shū Buddhist temple in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is the main temple of the Jōdo-shū ("Pure Land") Chinzei sect of Buddhism in the Kantō region. Its mountain name is San'en-zan (三縁山). Zōjō-ji is notable for its relations ...
in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
in 1647. *The ''Hattō'' (Dharma Hall), built in 1814, where public ceremonies are held. It is the largest Buddhist wooden structure in Eastern Japan. *The '' Karamon'' (Grand Gate), another Important Cultural Property, was brought here from Zōjō-ji together with the ''Butsuden''. *The ''Hōjō'' (the head priest's living quarters), also moved from the Hanju Zanmai-in in Kyoto, used for religious ceremonies. *The Monastery, where monks are trained in meditation, which is however permanently closed to the public. It consists of a ''Zen-dō'' (meditation hall), of a ''kaisan-dō'' (founder's hall, a hall enshrining the temple's founder) and of the administrative offices. * The large Zen garden behind the ''Hōjō'' called and which is shaped like the Chinese character for , was designed by famous Zen teacher, scholar, poet, and garden designer
Musō Soseki was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and teacher, and a calligrapher, poet and garden designer. The most famous monk of his time, he is also known as , an honorific conferred on him by Emperor Go-Daigo.''Musō Soseki'', Kyoto University His mother ...
. *A recent ceiling painting by
Koizumi Junsaku was a Japanese painter and pottery artist. Biography Koizumi was born in Kamakura, Kanagawa in 1924. In 1952, he graduated from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (present name Tokyo University of the Arts; Jap. 東京芸術大� ...
(2003) portraying a dragon decorates the ceiling of the ''Hattō'', the building behind the ''Butsuden''. For this reason, the Hattō is often called . In front of the ''Butsuden'' stand some great Chinese juniper trees which have been designated Natural Treasures. At the time of the founding of the temple, these big trees were simple saplings brought from China by the founder Doryū. Underneath the biggest a great stone monument surrounded by chains commemorates those of Kamakura's citizens who died during the
Russo-Japanese war The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
of 1904–5.


Hansōbō

Near the end of the temple's garden, over a hill stands the Hansōbō, the temple's large tutelary
Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...
. The enshrined spirit is the ''Hansōbō Daigongen''.For many centuries now temples all over the country adopt tutelary ''kami'' as protectors. These are enshrined in
Shinto shrine A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion. The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...
s called ''
chinjusha In Japan, a is a Shinto shrine which enshrines a ; that is, a patron spirit that protects a given area, village, building or a Buddhist temple. The Imperial Palace has its own tutelary shrine dedicated to the 21 guardian gods of Ise Shrine. Tut ...
'' built for the purpose within the Buddhist temple. The presence of a Shinto shrine within a Buddhist temple is a manifestation of the syncretic fusion of Shinto and Buddhism that was normal until the
Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
. See the article Shinbutsu shūgō.
The ''gongen'' was originally the tutelary spirit () of Hōkō-ji in Shizuoka and was brought here in 1890 by Aozora Kandō.Kamiya Vol. 2 (2006:24) The statues on the stairs leading to the shrine represent ''
Tengu ''Tengu'' ( ; , , ) are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of ''yōkai'' (supernatural beings) or Shinto ''kami'' (gods or spirits). The ''Tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of bird of ...
'', entities similar to ''goblins'' which accompany the ''gongen''. Some of the creatures have wings and a beak: they are a type of ''tengu'' called ''Karasu-tengu'' (''crow tengu'') because of their appearance. On a clear day, from the shrine one can see Mount Fuji to the west, and Sagami bay and
Izu Ōshima is an inhabited volcanic island in the Izu archipelago in the Philippine Sea, off the coast of Honshu, Japan, east of the Izu Peninsula and southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. As with the other islands in the Izu Island group, Izu Ōshima forms ...
to the south. The stones in the garden are full of names: they are those of the faithful who donated to the temple, and which belong to over 100 different religious organizations. This area used to be the temple's Inner Sanctuary, which still stands among the trees at the very top of the hill and which can be reached going up the steep stairs that begin on the right of the shrine, in front of the Jizō-dō. Next to the sanctuary there's an observation deck from which, on clear days, are visible Kamakura,
Yuigahama is a beach near Kamakura, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The relation between the beach and its neighboring areas is complex. Although Yuigahama is legally the entire 3.2 km beach that goes from Inamuragasaki, which separates it from ...
and Mount Fuji. At the very end of the garden, next to the Hansōbō, on a small hill overlooking a lake stands the Kaishun-in. This remote temple was built in 1334 and enshrines a statue of Monju
Bosatsu In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, ''Enlightenment in Buddhism, bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal n ...
.


Sanmon Kajiwara Segaki-e

On the 15th of July (''
Obon or just is a fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ance ...
'', or the festival of the dead) Kenchō-ji celebrates the famous funerary ceremony. The normal funeral rites take place early in the morning under the Sanmon gate.Kamakura Kankō Bunka Kentei Kōshiki Tekisutobukku (2008:170-188) Only at Kenchō-ji, they are later repeated expressly for the soul of
Kajiwara Kagetoki was a samurai and retainer of the Kamakura Shogunate during the late Heian and early Kamakura period. He was a spy for Minamoto no Yoritomo in the Genpei War, and a warrior against the Taira clan. He came to be known for his greed and treachery. ...
, a
Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...
samurai who died during the political turmoil that followed the death of
Minamoto no Sanetomo was the third ''shōgun'' of the Kamakura shogunate. He was the second son of the Kamakura shogunate founder, Minamoto no Yoritomo. His mother was Hōjō Masako and his older brother was the second Kamakura shogun Minamoto no Yoriie. His child ...
. The origins of the ceremony are said to go back to the days of Doryū.Mutsu (1995:107-122) The legend says that one day, right after the end of a segaki, (a Buddhist service in favor of suffering spirits) a ghostly figure appeared. Having discovered that the ''segaki'' was already over, the warrior seemed so sad that the priest repeated the ceremony just for him. Afterwards, the man revealed he was the ghost of Kajiwara Kagetoki.


See also

*
List of National Treasures of Japan (writings) Lists of National Treasures of Japan cover different types of National Treasure (Japan), National Treasure of Japan. They include buildings and fine arts and crafts. Buildings and structures *List of National Treasures of Japan (castles), for str ...
* List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts-others) * Kenchin jiru


Notes


References

* * * "A Brief Guide to Kenchoji", English language pamphlet from Kenchō-ji, October 15, 2008 * * * , page 151 and following *


External links

*
About Kenchō-ji - official website
August 10, 2023

Rinzai-Obaku Zen site {{DEFAULTSORT:Kencho-ji 1250s establishments in Japan 1253 establishments in Asia Buddhist temples in Kamakura, Kanagawa Kenchō-ji temples Rinzai temples 13th-century Buddhist temples Temples of Kṣitigarbha