Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura

There are five particular Zen temples in Kamakura that are significant enough to bear the name of the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura. These temples are connected by the Five Mountain System which started in China of state-sponsored temples. A similar Five Mountain System exists in Kyoto.

The first temple, Kencho-ji, is the oldest Zen monastery in Japan, built in 1252, and along with Hachiman-gu, is

the pride of

Kamakura. It was founded by the Emperor but its main

sponsor was the Hojo Clan, which acted as regents for the Kamakura Shogunate. Thou

gh this was for religious purposes, it was also political; the head temple controls the rest, so the Shogun (or rather, the Shogun's regents) was able to better control the country through Zen temples. Though it used to have 49 sub-temples, only ten remain.

Site: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qm9t-kndu/kenchoji.htm

The second temple is Engaku-ji. It was commissioned in 1282 by the regent Hojo Tokimune after Japan successfully repealed the Mongolian invasion, as a way to honor those who had died during the battles with the Mongols, both Japanese and Mongol. This temple was instrumental in the popularization and s

pread of Zen.

Site: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qm9t-kndu/engakuji.htm

The third temple, Jufuk

u-ji, is the oldest Zen temple in Japan, though not as famous as Kencho-ji, and was not a Zen temple initially. It was founded in 1200 by Hojo Masako, wife of Minamoto Yoritomo, after her husband's death. The first priest, Myoan Eisai, is considered to be the father of Japanese Zen. The temple, though small now, once had 14 sub-temples. In addition, there is a vast graveyard made of caves in which all the chief priests are buried, as well as Hojo Masako and her son Minamoto no Sanetomo.

Site: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qm9t-kndu/jufukuji.htm

The fourth temple, Jochi-ji, was founded in 1282 by Hojo Morotoki after his father Hojo Munemasa's dea

th at the age of 29. It is assumed that Munemasa's wife and brother made significant contributions, as Morotoki was very young at the time. By the 20th Century, the temple was in decay, and it has since been completely rebuilt.

Site: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qm9t-kndu/jochiji.htm

The fifth temple, Jomyo-ji, was originally founded as a Mikkyo temple in 1188 by the priest Taiko Gyoyu, but after the opening of Kencho-ji, it changed its denomination to a Zen temple. It is the only one of the five that was not founded or sponsored by a member of the Hojo clan. Instead, its chief sponsor was Ashikaga Sadauji, whose son Ashikaga Takauji would found the Muromachi Shogunate. It was damaged and its sponsorships lost in the Sengoku Period, but it was rebuilt in the 18th Century.

Site: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qm9t-kndu/jomyoji.htm

These temples demonstrate the beginnings and rising popularity of Zen Buddhism in Japan, and the ties it had to the government in its early years.