Jochi-ji
Encyclopedia
is a Buddhist Zen
temple in Kita-Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. It belongs to the Engaku-ji
school of the Rinzai sect and is ranked fourth among Kamakura's Five Mountains
. The main objects of worship are the three statues of Shaka, Miroku
and Amida
Nyorai visible inside the main hall.
Hōjō Tokiyori
) and his son Hōjō Morotoki (1275–1311). However, because the temple opened the year Munemasa died at just 29 and because of Morotoki's age at the time, it's likely that his wife and Munemasa's younger brother Hōjō Tokimune
(1251–1284) had a hand in directing its building and its opening.
Priest Nanshu Kōkai (a.k.a. Shin’o Zenji) was invited to open the temple but, feeling too young and not up to the task, he asked the Hōjōs to nominate also Gottan Funei and Daikyu Shonen, both Chinese Zen masters that had come to Japan invited by Hōjō Tokiyori. The temple has therefore the distinction of having three official founding priests.
had little to say about Jōchi-ji, other than it was in complete decay. She dedicated to it just a half page. In fact, all you see today is new.
At its peak, the temple was far bigger than now; it comprised 11 buildings and 500 people lived in it, but little is left of the original great temple that was one of Kamakura's Five Mountains. All existing buildings were rebuilt after being lost during the Great Kanto Earthquake.
At the entrance there are a pond, a stone bridge and a gate. To the left there's also the , one of the once-famous . Above the gate stand the four characters , or "The treasure you are looking for is next to you".
After a flight of stone stairs one finds a very unusual feature: the Shōrōmon (鐘楼門), that is a two-storied combination of shōrō
(bellfry) and rōmon
(gate) restored in 2007. The second story holds a bell made in the year 1340.
In the main hall nearby are three images of Buddha (the already-mentioned Amida, Shaka, and Miroku), the main object of worship
, which guard respectively the past, the present and the future.
Behind the main hall are the graveyard, some bamboo groves, numerous cave graves ( the so-called yagura
), and the statue of Hotei
, the god of good fortune or happiness. After having been touched by generations of Japanese wishing to improve their luck, his belly, his left earlobe and his index finger have been worn smooth.
The street that runs to the left of the front gate takes to the house behind the temple where movie director Yasujiro Ozu
used to live in the '50. It's also the starting point of a hiking course that in about 30 minutes will take you to the Zeniarai Benten Shrine
.
Getting there:
The temple is very near Kita-Kamakura Station
.
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
temple in Kita-Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It belongs to the Engaku-ji
Engaku-ji
right|thumb|A stone carvingNot to be confused with Enryaku-ji in Kyoto., or Engaku-ji , is one of the most important Zen Buddhist temple complexes in Japan and is ranked second among Kamakura's Five Mountains. It is situated in the city of Kamakura, in Kanagawa prefecture to the south of Tokyo...
school of the Rinzai sect and is ranked fourth among Kamakura's Five Mountains
Five Mountains
This is a disambiguation page.* For the Five Great Zen Temples in Kamakura and Kyoto, see Five Mountain System. The same relates to the Japanese Zen temple ranking system.* For the Five Mountains literature, see Japanese Literature of the Five Mountains....
. The main objects of worship are the three statues of Shaka, Miroku
Maitreya
Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
and Amida
Amitabha
Amitābha is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism...
Nyorai visible inside the main hall.
History
Officially, the temple was founded in 1283 by Hōjō Munemasa (1253–1281) (son of the fifth ShikkenShikken
The was the regent for the shogun in the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. The post was monopolized by the Hōjō clan, and this system only existed once in Japanese history, between 1203 and 1333...
Hōjō Tokiyori
Hojo Tokiyori
Hōjō Tokiyori was the fifth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He was born to Hōjō Tokiuji and a daughter of Adachi Kagemori....
) and his son Hōjō Morotoki (1275–1311). However, because the temple opened the year Munemasa died at just 29 and because of Morotoki's age at the time, it's likely that his wife and Munemasa's younger brother Hōjō Tokimune
Hojo Tokimune
of the Hōjō clan was the eighth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate , known for leading the Japanese forces against the invasion of the Mongols and for spreading Zen Buddhism and by extension Bushido among the warrior class.- Life :Born as the eldest son of the regent and Tokuso Tokiyori of the...
(1251–1284) had a hand in directing its building and its opening.
Priest Nanshu Kōkai (a.k.a. Shin’o Zenji) was invited to open the temple but, feeling too young and not up to the task, he asked the Hōjōs to nominate also Gottan Funei and Daikyu Shonen, both Chinese Zen masters that had come to Japan invited by Hōjō Tokiyori. The temple has therefore the distinction of having three official founding priests.
Points of interest
In her 1918 guide to Kamakura "Kamakura: Fact and Legend", Iso MutsuIso Mutsu
Countess was a British woman who married a Japanese nobleman and diplomat, came with him to Japan in 1910 and lived in Kamakura until her death in 1930...
had little to say about Jōchi-ji, other than it was in complete decay. She dedicated to it just a half page. In fact, all you see today is new.
At its peak, the temple was far bigger than now; it comprised 11 buildings and 500 people lived in it, but little is left of the original great temple that was one of Kamakura's Five Mountains. All existing buildings were rebuilt after being lost during the Great Kanto Earthquake.
At the entrance there are a pond, a stone bridge and a gate. To the left there's also the , one of the once-famous . Above the gate stand the four characters , or "The treasure you are looking for is next to you".
After a flight of stone stairs one finds a very unusual feature: the Shōrōmon (鐘楼門), that is a two-storied combination of shōrō
Shōrō
The or is the bell tower of a Buddhist temple in Japan. It can also be found at some Shinto shrines, as for example Nikkō Tōshō-gū. Two main types exist, the older , which has walls, and the more recent or , which does not.-History:...
(bellfry) and rōmon
Rōmon
The is one of two types of two-storied gate presently used in Japan . Even though it was originally developed by Buddhist architecture, it is now used at both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Its otherwise normal upper story is inaccessible and therefore offers no usable space...
(gate) restored in 2007. The second story holds a bell made in the year 1340.
In the main hall nearby are three images of Buddha (the already-mentioned Amida, Shaka, and Miroku), the main object of worship
Gohonzon
Gohonzon , is the object of devotion in many forms of Japanese Buddhism. In Japanese, go is an honorific prefix indicating respect and honzon means object of fundamental respect, veneration, or devotion...
, which guard respectively the past, the present and the future.
Behind the main hall are the graveyard, some bamboo groves, numerous cave graves ( the so-called yagura
Yagura (tombs)
are artificial caves used during the Middle Ages in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, as tombs and cenotaphs. It is likely that they were used only as tombs in the beginning, and that later they started being used as cenotaphs too. The dead are usually samurai, but priests and even artisans...
), and the statue of Hotei
Hotei
Budai , pronounced Hotei in Japanese, Bố Đại in Vietnamese, is a Chinese folkloric deity. His name means "Cloth Sack," and comes from the bag that he is conventionally depicted as carrying. He is usually identified with Maitreya Buddha, so much so that the Budai image is one of the main forms in...
, the god of good fortune or happiness. After having been touched by generations of Japanese wishing to improve their luck, his belly, his left earlobe and his index finger have been worn smooth.
The street that runs to the left of the front gate takes to the house behind the temple where movie director Yasujiro Ozu
Yasujiro Ozu
was a prominent Japanese film director and script writer. He is known for his distinctive technical style, developed during the silent era. Marriage and family, especially the relationships between the generations, are among the most persistent themes in his body of work...
used to live in the '50. It's also the starting point of a hiking course that in about 30 minutes will take you to the Zeniarai Benten Shrine
Zeniarai Benten shrine
', popularly known simply as Zeniarai Benten, is a Shinto shrine in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. In spite of its small size, it is the second most popular spot in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture after Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. Zeniarai Benzaiten is popular among tourists because the...
.
Getting there:
The temple is very near Kita-Kamakura Station
Kita-Kamakura Station
is a railway station in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:Kita-Kamakura Station is served by the Yokosuka Line and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line...
.
See also
- For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese BuddhismGlossary of Japanese BuddhismThis is the glossary of Japanese Buddhism, including major terms the casual reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries...
.