Best Temples around Kanagawa Spot List

Hasedera or the Hasedera Temple is an old temple with a view of the ocean and the town of Hase in Kamakura. Various flowers bloom in the garden from season to season. Its principal image of worship is one of the largest wooden statues in Japan.

This temple is one of the Three Mountains of the Kanto region for the Chisan sect of Shingon Buddhism and is well-known as a temple to ward off evil. Enjoy the shops in the surrounding streets after attending a Goma Rite (a ceremony in which Goma wood is burned in a fireplace on the Goma platform).

The temple is the oldest one in Kamakura, founded by a high priest called Gyoki. Its principal image of worship is the three figures of eleven-faced Kan'non, and the temple ground is covered with various flowers throughout the seasons.

This temple is the daihonzan (head temple) of the Kencho-ji Temple school of the Rinzai sect and ranks first among the Kamakura Gozan (Kamakura's Five Great Zen Temples). It has a number of national treasures, cultural assets, and historical structures. The Sanmon (three gates) are a must-see.

Classical Zen Buddhist temple with gardens designed by Muso Kokushi. Enjoy the maple trees and seasonal flowers.

Famous for the Great Buddha of Kamakura which weighs 121 tonnes, Kotoku-in is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo-shu sect.

One of two Daihonzan (head temples) of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, with modern buildings in the spacious temple grounds. You can practice Zen meditation here.

This is a historically valuable temple that has National Treasures within its magnificent scenery that makes good use of nature. Zazen seated meditation meetings are held on weekends.

The fierce-eyed Fudo Myo-o (Acala) statue, this Buddhist temple's main object of worship, is really astounding. The backdrop of beautiful red maple leaves is also impressive.

The principal object of worship at Ennoji Temple is Enma Daio. It also enshrines the Ten Judges of Hell. You can experience an ancient view of the afterlife here.

Sanehira Jiro Doi is famous for protecting Yoritomo Minamoto from Kagechika Oba’s army after he had lost the Battle of Ishibashiyama. Joganji Temple is the family temple of the Doi clan. The temple grounds contain many sights of historic interest, including Shichikido, a hall which keeps the seven wooden statues depicting Yoritomo and each of his samurai warriors who played an active part in the revival of the Minamoto family, as well as the Doi family’s burial ground (designated as a Kanagawa cultural property). A Chinese juniper tree planted by Sanehira himself (estimated to be 800 years old and designated as a national natural monument) is the largest and oldest in Kanagawa Prefecture, and its straight, vertical trunk is an impressive sight thought to be extremely rare in Japan.