| Closed day | Open daily |
| Opening Times |
①6：00～21：00（Octber1st～March31st） |
| Sacred Object |
Emperor Ojin(Hondawake-no-mikoto) |
| Divine Blessing | Success in competitions,work,Career advancement,Blessings for a good marriage |
In 1180 , Minamoto no Yoritomo moved the branch deity of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Kyoto, which had been worshipped as the clan deity of the Minamoto clan, to Kamakura and enshrined it there.
The current site of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine was formerly the site of Maruyama Inari Shrine. However, in order to move the main buiiding of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine , it is said that Maruyama Inari Shrine gave up its location and moved to its current location on top of the mountain .
During the Meiji period, it is said that many of the Buddhist temples at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine were removed due to the separation of Shinto and Buddhism .
(If you want to know more about the separation of Shinto and Buddhism, Click here. )
You can see the " white dove" that is the messenger of Hachiman all over the temple grounds. Also, if you look closely at the Hachi-no-ji（ eight） written on the plaque hanging on the tower gate, you will see that it is in the shape of a dove (two doves facing each other).
It is said to be one of the three major Hachiman shrines in Japan.(① Usa jingu Shrine in Oita Prefecture, ② Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Kyoto Prefecture, ③ Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura, or ③ Hakozakigu Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture).
It is " Ichinomiya" in Sagami Province .
(If you want to know more about Ichinomiya, Click here)
It is a national important cultural property .
(If you want to know more about a national important cultural properties, Click here)
Ⓐ "The Kamakura Festival" in April and Ⓑ "the Annual grand Festival", held over three days from September 14th to 16th, are big festivals. (They are scheduled to be held during normal times when there is no risk of infectious diseases or typhoons.)
The Yabusame ritual held on the last day of the Annual Festival is famous.
Ⓒ "The Bonbon Festival" is held over three or four days from the day before the beginning of autumn in August to the 9th.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, located in the center of Kamakura, is said to be surrounded on three sides by mountains with strong dragon veins.
It is a power spot .
| Sacred Object | Emperor Gotoba,Emperor Tsuchimikado,Emperor Juntoku |
|
It was enshrined to appease the spirits. |
It was built out of fear of the curse of Emperor Gotoba .
After being defeated by the Shogunate forces in the Jokyu War, Emperor Gotoba was exiled to Oki and died there.After his death, it is said that many strange incidents occurred, such as the sudden deaths of important figures in the Kamakura Shogunate one after another.
It is a nationally important cultural property .
This is a sacred ginkgo tree that is said to be 1,000 years old .
(If you want to know more about ginkgo trees, Click here. )
It fell down due to strong winds in 2010.When the trunk of the fallen sacred tree was cut off, a bud appeared from the cut trunk a year later.
For this reason, it has come to be known as a power spot of ”regeneration ”and ”vitality” .
The buds are still growing.
It is located behind Hatagami Benzaiten (a shrine that enshrines Benzaiten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Kamakura).
It is said that Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed for the safe delivery of his wife Masako on this stone .
It is also known as the " Masako Stone . "
It is said to bring blessings for "safe childbirth" and "matchmaking" .
| Sacred Object |
⓵ Tagiribime-no-mikoto、② Ichikishimahihe-no-mikoto、⓷ Tagitsuhime-no-mikot |
| Divine Blessing | Business prosperity,wisdom,Financial fortune,Success in competitions,Blessing for pregnancy,Music,Improvement in the art |
"Benzaiten" is a Buddhist Buddha .
( If you want to know more about Benzaiten , Click here )
Benzaiten was incorporated into Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto, a popular Shinto beauty, through " Syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism" and became a " Shinto god."
(If you want to know more about Syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, Click here. )
Currently, Benzaiten is housed at the Kamakura National Treasure Museum .
I researched the Kamakura National Treasure Museum
This is a nude sculpture of Benzaiten wearing a cloth kimono .
It is a national important cultural property .
(If you want to know more about national important cultural properties,Click here. )
During the Jōkyū War in 1221, Minamoto no Yoritomo is said to have performed the “ battle flag raising ceremony to pray for victory ” at Hatagami Benzaiten Shrine.
It is said that when Minamoto no Yoritomo set out for the Jōkyū War, Benzaiten appeared in his dream .
Therefore , Hojo Masako (wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo) built the Genpei Pond "in the hope of the Minamoto clan's victory ." It is said that she also built "the Benzaiten Shrine."
The current shrine was rebuilt in 1980 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the founding of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.
It was restored based on an old map from the Bunsei era of the Edo period.
"The Hatagami Benzaiten Shrine" is located in the " Eastern Pond (Genji Pond)" to the rightof the Genpei Pond .
There is a drum bridge between the two ponds .
A: The pond on the right is "Genji Pond" .
B: The pond on the left is "Heike Pond ".
It is said that in the past, (A)white lotus flowers resembling the white flag of the Genji clan (the flag of the Genji clan) bloomed in Genji Pond , and(B) red lotus flowers resembling the red flag of the Heike clan bloomed in Heike Pond .
Now you can see red and white lotus flowers in both ponds.
Genji Pond also has a wisteria trellis, and "purple wisteria blooms" in early May.
"Lotus flowers" bloom from mid-July to August .
Festivals (held during normal times when there is no risk of typhoons or infectious diseases)
①The festival is held on, which is Benzaiten's festival day.
②Reitaikai(The regular festival) is held on the first snake day of April , which.
| Sacred Object |
Uka-no-mitama-no-kami |
| Divine Blessing | Goog harvest、Prosperity in industry、Business prosperity、Safety in the family、Improvement in performing arts |
It is located inside Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.
The main building is designated as a national Important Cultural Property .
(If you want to know more about a national important Cultural Properties , Click here )
There are many red torii gates and red flags, giving you the feeling that you are at an Inari shrine.
It is the oldest shrine in Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine .
Originally , Maruyama Inari Shrine was located where the main shrine of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is currently located.
However, in order to move the main building of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, it is said that Maruyama Inari Shrine gave up its location and was moved to the top of the mountain where it is now .
There are many red torii gates and red flags, giving you the feeling that you are at an Inari shrine.
Festivals (held during normal times when there is no risk of typhoons or infectious diseases)
➀ The " Annual Festival " is held on April 9th.
➁ The " Hitaki Festival " is held on November 8th.
➂ The " Hatsuuma Festival " is held on" Hatsuuma Day in February ."
| Sacred Object | Minamoto-no-yoritomo、Minamoto-no-sanetomo |
| Divine Blessing | Academic success、Success in competitions |
This shrine was built in 1200 by Hojo Masako, the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo , to enshrine Minamoto no Yoritomo , the first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate.
later, the third Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, Minamoto no Sanetomo , was also enshrined here .
It is said that the shrine came to be called "Shirohata Shrine" because the flag of the Genji clan was a white flag .
It is a branch shrine of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.
This is " one of the representative family crests of the Genji clan . "
The black-painted shrine building is a distinctive feature.
You can see the rounded mountain-shaped beams called karahafu .
It is said that when Toyotomi Hideyoshi achieved unification of the countryhe spoke to the statue of Minamotono Yoritomo that was enshrined at Shirohata Shrine at the time
"You and I are the only two who have come from humble beginnings to rule the country.
However, your ancestors wielded great influence in the Kanto region, and if they had raised an army, it would have been easy for them to gain many soldiers and rule the country. However, I came to rule the country from an obscure family, so I am the one who has risen to success."
He is said to have said, "You and I are friends in the world."
Festivals (held during normal times when there is no risk of typhoons or infectious diseases)
➀ The " Annual Festival" is held on May 28th.
➁ The " Sanetomo Festival" is held on August 9th.
➂ The " Bunboku Festival" is held on October 28th
These are the two stones in front of Shirahata Shrine .
For this reason, they are said to be " auspicious stones."
It is said that just touching them will bring you good fortune .
This is the place where Shizugozen, the wife of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, is said to have danced and sung songs of love for Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
After the Genpei War, the younger brother, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, came into conflict with his older brother, Minamoto no Yoritomo, and was captured.
When Minamoto no Yoritomo ordered ”Shizuka Gozen” , the wife of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, to dance in the dance hall, Shizuka Gozen sang a song of love for her husband Minamoto no Yoshitsune, knowing that Yoritomo would be angry .
Then, Minamoto no Yoritomo's wife, ”Hojo Masako”,defended her by saying , "I would do the same if I were in Shizuka Gozen's position," and it is said that she calmed Minamoto no Yoritomo's anger and saved Shizuka Gozen's life .
A dance called "Shizu no Mai" is performed on the second Sunday of April (when there is no risk of typhoons or infectious diseases).
A "yohaijo" is a place set up for worshiping gods and Buddhas in distant locations.
This remote worship site was established so that the shrine that is the origin of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, known as "Yui Wakamiya," can be worshiped from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.
This shrine is located at the place where Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine was first built .
Therefore, it can be said to be the "origin" of Kamakura and the Minamoto clan .
During the Heian period, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, an ancestor of the Minamoto clan, won a battle in the Tohoku region and was given a branch of the spirit (god) of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine in Kyoto, one of the three major Hachiman shrines in Japan,to be divided into Yuiwakamiya Shrine .
Later, Minamoto no Yoritomo moved the branch spirit (god) of Yui Wakamiya Shrine to the current location of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine , and the shrine came to be known as Moto-Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine .
Address: 1-7 Zaimokuza, Kamakura City.
About a 15-minute walk from the east exit of Kamakura Station.
In June, there is the hotaru hojo-sai Festival, where you can see fireflies .
In September, there is the Suzumushi hojo-sai festival, where you can see bell crickets .
Apparently it used to be a famous willow spot.
There is "a drum bridge" between the two ponds .
The one on the right is Genji-ike Pond , and the one on the left is Heike-ike Pond .
There are islands in both ponds, and if you count them you will find that (A)Genji-ike Pond has" three islands ", and (B) Heike-ike Pond (B) has four islands .
It is said that these were built by Hojo Masako, the wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo, who prayed for the victory of the Minamoto clan, and had the number of islands on Genji-ike Pond (A) placed at " 3 " (san) represent "birth" (san), in hopes of the Genji clan's future prosperity , and the number of islands on Heike-ike Pond (B ) placed at " 4 " (shi) represent "death" (shi), in hopes of the downfall of the Heike clan .
In the past, (A)the Genji-ike Pond had white lotus flowers that resembled the white flag of the Genji clan , and(B) the Heike-ike Pond had red lotus flowers that resembled the red flag of the Heike clan .
Now, you can see red and white lotus flowers in both ponds .
In spring, "cherry blossoms" bloom around "April".
In summer, lotus flowers bloom from mid-July to August .
Genji-ike Pond also has a wisteria trellis where purple wisteria blooms in early May .
We store cultural assets such as sculptures , paintings , Buddhist statues , and crafts from the temples and shrines of Kamakura. Some of these important cultural assets are on display.
Learning from the lessons learned from the Great Kanto Earthquake, which destroyed many temples and shrines and lost valuable cultural assets, the Kamakura National Treasure Museum was built to protect cultural assets from natural disasters.
It is also a place where you can see many cultural assets at once.
