What to know
Jochiji (浄智寺, Jōchiji) ranks fourth among Kamakura's five great Zen temples. It belongs to the Engakuji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Its head temple, Engakuji, is just a few hundred meters away on the other side of the railway tracks.
Founded in 1283 by members of the ruling Hojo family after the premature death of a son, Jochiji was once a large complex with many buildings and subtemples. Today it is small and serene. The main hall houses the temple's primary object of worship: a Buddhist trinity consisting of Amida Buddha, Shaka Buddha, and Miroku Buddha.
Behind the main hall, a circular path winds through the temple garden, past a graveyard and some caves. At the entrance, one of Kamakura's ten celebrated wells can be found, though it has lost some of its former beauty over the centuries. Next to Jochiji begins the Daibutsu hiking trail, which leads to the Great Buddha in about an hour.
Jochiji is a ten-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line, one stop before Kamakura Station when coming from Tokyo.
Visitor information
Practical details to check before planning this stop.
- Hours
- 9:00 to 16:30
- Closed
- No closing days
- Admission
- 300 yen (~$1.92)
- English name
- Jochiji Temple
- Original name
- Jochiji Temple
Verify details before visiting. Currency conversion is indicative and may vary over time.