Kamakura-gu Shrine

The central figure of Kamakura-gu is Prince Morinaga, a leading figure of the Kenmu Restoration. A son of Emperor Go-Daigo, popularly called Otonomiya, he overthrew the Kamakura shogunate together with his father, but later fell out with Ashikaga Takauji, was captured and was confined at Tokoji temple in Kamakura. In 1335, amid the turmoil of the Nakasendai Rebellion, he was killed by Fuchibe Yoshihiro on the orders of Ashikaga Tadayoshi.

The shrine itself dates from the Meiji era. In 1869 Emperor Meiji ordered a shrine built to honor Prince Morinaga, and that same year its buildings were completed on the site of Tokoji, where they stand today. In 1873 Emperor Meiji visited, and the shrine was ranked as a Kanpei Chusha. It is one of the Fifteen Shrines of the Kenmu Restoration, and in 2016 it was certified as a constituent cultural property of a Japan Heritage story.

The best-known feature of the grounds is the "dungeon" behind the main hall. It is a cave where, according to old tradition, Prince Morinaga was confined for about nine months, and it consists of two levels of earthen chambers. Admission is charged, and there are various theories about what it really was. The neighboring treasure hall was built as a temporary residence for Emperor Meiji's visit in 1873 and displays items connected with the prince.

Visitors enjoy the charms against misfortune. At the "cup-breaking place" you breathe into an earthen cup (kawarake) to pass your bad luck into it, then throw it against a rock called the "misfortune-breaking stone" to smash it. Beside the worship hall stands "Nade Migawari-sama", a life-size statue of the prince's loyal retainer Murakami Yoshiteru, carved from a 103-year-old zelkova tree; it is said to bring protection from misfortune and recovery from illness. The huge lion-head amulet statue in front of the worship hall comes from the story that the prince hid a lion-head charm in his helmet and prayed for safety.

Within the grounds are also two auxiliary shrines: Minamikata-sha, which honors Jimyoin no Minami no Onkata, who accompanied the prince during his confinement in Kamakura and looked after him, and Murakami-sha, which honors the loyal retainer Murakami Yoshiteru, who at the fall of Yoshino put on the prince's armor undergarment, took his place and took his own life. The sacred "Ogatama" tree is a natural monument designated by Kamakura City.

Annual events include the Prince Morinaga Festival on 23 July, the annual festival and the Kamakura Takigi Noh in autumn. There is no parking on the grounds, so if you come by car you need to look for a nearby car park.

Take a bus from Kamakura Station and get off at the "Kamakura-gu" stop, and you are there at once. Allow about 40 minutes for worship and the dungeon, or half a day if you include nearby temples and shrines.