Kuhon-ji Temple

Overview

Kuhon-ji is a temple of the Jodo (Pure Land) sect tucked into the Zaimokuza district of Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its mountain name is Dairisan, and its principal image is Amida Nyorai. Standing on ground said to have served as a military headquarters during the fall of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333, the temple was founded to mourn those who died in battle. Set away from the busier sightseeing routes and close to the sea, it offers a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.

Highlights

• ●Plaques copied from Nitta Yoshisada's calligraphy on gate and hall
• ●Grounds said to be the site of a 1333 battle headquarters
• ●The Amida Nyorai principal image of this Pure Land temple
• ●A calm setting along a quiet Zaimokuza lane

History

According to temple tradition, Kuhon-ji occupies the site where Nitta Yoshisada made his camp during the 1333 assault on Kamakura. It is said that Yoshisada later founded the temple to console the spirits of the Hojo-side warriors who fell in the fighting. The plaques reading Dairisan and Kuhon-ji on the gate and main hall are believed to be copies of Yoshisada's own calligraphy, and a plaque held to be his original brushwork is carefully preserved in the main hall.

Map

35.3072, 139.5516 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head from JR Kamakura Station toward Zaimokuza
2. 2Pass through the temple gate and pray at the main hall
3. 3Admire the plaques linked to Yoshisada
4. 4Walk on to the Zaimokuza coast

Did you know?

💡 Kuhon-ji is counted among the sacred sites of the Kamakura Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage and is familiar to those collecting goshuin seal stamps. The name Kuhon (nine grades) derives from a Buddhist term for the nine ranks of rebirth in the Pure Land.

Nearby spots