We came to immense ourselves in the beautifully crafted garden and admired the wooden structure of the temple. Its quite a long walk from the station with some upwards slope on a narrow street. This temple complex is lovely. It was made more peaceful by the fact that we got there close to closing time, and there were monks walking around, and a meditation session had just finished, so there was a stream of Japanese ladies wearing kimonos all walking out, very picturesque. Lots of lovely architecture. I would love to spend more time around the monastery walking and admiring the flowers and trees next time. #givethanks #givethanks

A calm visit to Kencho-ji at Kamakura

#japantrip Being the number one of Kamakura's five great Zen temples, Kenjoji was founded by the ruling regent Hojo Tokiyori in 1253 during the Kencho Era. After passing through the Sanmon gate, you will be able to see the temple bell of the temple. One of the main structure is the Butuseden (Buddha's Hall), and the Hatto (Dharma Hall) and Hojo (Main Hall). The temple also houses many paintings and art works from ex-priests and monks and you will be able to view them at the main temple. It is best visited during spring or summer to enjoy the lush greens within the temple compound.

Chinese Zen architectural style|Kencho-ji (1508)

|Kencho-ji (1508). Kencho-ji in Japan, is the head temple of the Kencho-ji school of the Rinzai sect, ranks first among the five major temples in the Kamakura Gozan, the five Zen temples in Kamakura. The main gate, sanmon, Buddha hall, Dharma hall, abbot's quarters and other garan buildings are arranged in a straight line, with 10 pagodas surrounding it. The buildings at the time of creation have been destroyed by fire, and the later buildings were rebuilt or relocated after the Edo period, and still retain the Chinese Zen architectural style. The temple also has many treasures, such as the national treasure silk painting of Rankei Doryu, the important cultural property wooden lacquered Vairocana altar, and the wooden statue of Hojo Tokiyori, etc., these are all cultural heritage.

Temple with history

#thingstodo This temple was much more exciting than I anticipated. The buildings are very rustic with little paint so it doesnt look very glamorous but that gives it a much more spiritual atmosphere. The main building had colorful cloth and a recognizable ceiling painting. You have to take off your shoes to get inside the building behind the golden gate but there's also a nice resting area with a view of the garden. I think its definitely worth to take a walk or bus here from Kamakura or Ofuna and it's much less crowded too.