Anyo-in Temple (Kamakura)

Anyo-in, whose gate faces the street in Omachi east of Kamakura Station, is an old Jodo-shu temple known for its ties to Hojo Masako. Its formal name is Gionzan Choraku-ji Anyo-in, and its principal image is Amida Nyorai. A Senju Kannon (thousand-armed Kannon) is also enshrined here and is called the "Tashiro Kannon." The temple is counted among the stops of the Bando 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and the Kamakura 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.

Temple tradition says that Hojo Masako built Choraku-ji in 1225 to pray for the repose of her husband, Minamoto no Yoritomo. The name "Anyo-in" comes from Masako's Buddhist name. When the Kamakura shogunate fell in 1333, Choraku-ji burned, and it merged with the Jodo temple Zendo-ji, which stood on the same site, taking the temple name it bears today. After a fire in 1680, the remains of Tashiro-ji were added as well. The temple was later hit by a fire in 1842 and by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, and was rebuilt in 1928.

The main highlight is the Important Cultural Property hokyointo (stone pagoda) in the grounds. It is said to have been erected in 1308 and is called the oldest hokyointo in Kamakura. It is also the only relic that survives from the former Zendo-ji. Two hokyointo stand behind the main hall, and the smaller one is said to be one of the graves of Hojo Masako. It is a place where you can feel the history of the Kamakura shogunate close at hand through stone towers.

Another attraction is the planting in the grounds. The azaleas planted along the street are famous even in Kamakura and are especially eye-catching when the flowers are out in spring. Inside the grounds stands a makki tree (a podocarpus) designated a natural monument by Kamakura City and known as the tree planted by the priest Sonkan, which adds a quiet, old-temple feel. Kamakura City's scenery materials also cite the azaleas and the makki tree as highlights of Anyo-in.

Annual events include New Year visits, memorial services at the spring and autumn equinoxes, the moxibustion day on May 2 (Hachijuhachiya), and the Shimanrokusennichi visit on August 10.

It is about a 12-minute walk from the east exit of Kamakura Station, or by bus get off at Nagoe and walk about 1 minute. A visit to the grounds takes around 30 minutes. Old temples and shrines such as Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Hokoku-ji and Sugimoto-dera lie nearby, and combining them makes a walk through the history that has continued since the Kamakura period.