Enmei-ji, a Jōdo-shū temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan
Enmei-ji is a Buddhist temple in Zaimokuza, Kamakura, belonging to the Rinzai Zen school and focused on Enma-Daio. The grounds include traditional wooden buildings with tiled roofs, twelve statues of underworld kings in the main hall, and a quiet garden with a pond.
The temple was founded in 1250 by Priest Dokai Soden and belongs to the Kenchoji school. Its original site at Zaimokuza was damaged by a tsunami in 1703, leading to relocation inland.
This temple is dedicated to Enma-Daio, the judge of souls in Japanese Buddhist tradition. Visitors come to pray and find a place of quiet reflection that is deeply rooted in local spiritual beliefs.
The temple is about 18 minutes on foot from Kita-Kamakura or Kamakura stations and charges 300 yen entry. Hours are 9 to 4 from March to November and 9 to 3:30 from December to February, with no restrooms on site.
The temple grounds feature a system of ten underworld kings depicting trials after death, similar to Dante's Inferno. These beliefs were adopted from China into Japanese Buddhism during the Heian period and continue to shape the temple's teachings.
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