Kencho-ji

Kencho-ji is the most prestigious of Kamakura's Five Great Zen Temples, founded in 1253 by the Chinese priest Rankei Doryu under the patronage of the regent Hojo Tokiyori. As the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan, it holds a place of immense historical and spiritual significance. Visitors enter through an imposing Sanmon gate and walk along an approach lined with ancient juniper trees—supposedly grown from seeds the founding priest brought from China. The Hatto (Dharma Hall) has a dragon ceiling painting by Koizumi Junsaku, while the serene garden behind the abbot's quarters is attributed to the famous Zen monk Muso Soseki. For the adventurous, a hiking trail from the temple grounds leads over the hills to Zuisen-ji Temple, passing a panoramic lookout point over Kamakura and the ocean.