Jōchi-ji Temple, Buddhist temple in Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Japan
Jōchi-ji is a Zen temple in the Yamanouchi district of Kamakura, ranked among the city's five great Zen monasteries. Moss-covered stone steps lead through the compound to a bell tower gate and the main hall with three seated Buddha figures.
Jōchi-ji was founded in 1281 to pray for the soul of Hōjō Munemasa, son of the fifth regent Hōjō Tokiyori. Munemasa's son Hōjō Morotoki was only eight, so the temple was effectively built by Munemasa's wife and his brother Hōjō Tokimune. The monk Nanshu Kōkai invited the Chinese masters Gottan Funei and Daikyu Shonen as founding abbots, making three official founders. It ranks fourth among Kamakura's Five Mountains.
The temple belongs to the Engaku-ji branch of the Rinzai school and ranks fourth among Kamakura's Five Mountains. Its main hall enshrines three Buddha statues representing the past, present, and future. The grounds include a statue of Hotei, one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, whose belly, left earlobe, and index finger have been worn smooth by visitors seeking luck.
The temple sits an eight-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station and opens from nine in the morning until half past four in the afternoon. The pathways can become slippery when wet due to the moss covering the stones.
The bell in the two-story gate was cast in 1340 by the caster Yamato Gonnokami Mitsutsura, as its inscription records; the gate itself was rebuilt in 2007. Behind the main hall, the belly, left earlobe and index finger of the Hotei statue are worn smooth from generations of rubbing for luck.
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