Engakuji (Or Engaku temple, 円覚寺) is located in the northern part of Kamakura not far from the Kita-Kamakura Station ("Kita" being "North"). It was originally founded in the year A.D. 1282 by a Chinese monk at the request of the regent Hojo Tokimune as a commemoration of the defeat of the Mongol Invasion of Japan under Kublai Khan (A.D. 1274-1281). The temple is considered one of the most important Zen temples in Japan and as the second most important of the Five Mountains of Kamakura.
Since that time, the temple has been in continuous operation and continues to this day to function as a public temple and a monastery.
The Sanmon (Main gate) was most recently rebuilt in A.D. 1785:
The Butsuden (Main Worship Hall) was rebuilt in A.D. 1969 following the Kanto earthquake, but follows plans from 1573:
The statue is the Hokan Shaka Nyorai (Buddha with a Jeweled Crown). It dates from the late Kamakura period (A.D. 1185-1333).
The ceiling of the Butsuden:
Ah, another visit to the Far East TB, thanks to the ease of electronic fact searching many of the rebuilds were due to fires and earthquakes. Thanks for sharing your visits to that part of the world...:)
ReplyDeleteNylon12 - Happy to share!
DeleteI hope enjoy this part of the world - after we finish here in Japan, we still have Cambodia and Vietnam to catch up on.
In your journeys, have you ever come across an explanation of why roofs sweep out at the bottom in Japan? It is such a distinctive feature and not one I have seen anywhere else. The is a house just down the hill from me that use to have a similar roof and it was known as the "Japanese" house and everyone knew exactly which one was being referred too. However, after many years of being vacant, it was bought last year and the new owners did away with that feature though everyone still refers to it as the Japanese house.
ReplyDeleteEd, I have never heard an explanation (although to be fair, I have never asked). I will say that many modern houses that I have seen from the train in Japan preserve this "roof upsweep" feature.
DeleteSomehow this one seems more cared for than the others we've seen. A more affluent community, perhaps! Or just cared for more regularly now?
ReplyDeleteLeigh, honestly hard to say. It was the one that seems to have the most community involvement (by reading about it), so perhaps it is more of a "working" temple which involves a certain level of commitment from supporters.
Delete