Keiun-ji Temple

Overview

Keiun-ji is a temple of the Jodo (Pure Land) school in Kanagawa-Honcho, Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama. Because it enshrines the Urashima Kannon handed down from the now-defunct branch temple Kanpuku-ji, locals affectionately call it the Urashima Temple. Linked to the legend of Urashima Taro, it offers a quiet place to feel history in an area that still preserves the atmosphere of the old Kanagawa post town.

Highlights

• ●A temple enshrining the Urashima Kannon tied to the legend of Urashima Taro
• ●Known locally by the affectionate name Urashima Temple
• ●Used as the French consulate just after the opening of Yokohama
• ●A Pure Land temple within the old Kanagawa post town

History

Said to have been founded in 1447, Keiun-ji is a temple with deep roots. Shortly after the opening of the port of Yokohama at the end of the Edo period, it served as the French consulate, becoming a stage for international exchange in those early days. When the nearby Kanpuku-ji was abolished, its Urashima Kannon image was moved here and enshrined, and the temple came to be known as the Urashima Temple.

Map

35.4752, 139.6314 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Start from the Kanagawa or Higashi-Kanagawa station area and follow the route of the old Kanagawa post town
2. 2Visit Keiun-ji and learn about the Urashima Kannon and the origins of the Urashima legend
3. 3Stroll among the temples, shrines and historic spots scattered across the post-town area
4. 4Head toward Yokohama Station and extend your trip to the harbor scenery of Minato Mirai

Did you know?

💡 The legend that the Kannon image enshrined here was brought back by Urashima Taro from the Dragon Palace is what earned the temple its Urashima nickname. It is a surprising discovery to find this familiar fairy tale connected to a temple in the heart of Yokohama.

Nearby spots