Jōchi Temple

Jochi-ji was founded in 1283 by the Hojo family and ranks among the Kamakura Gozan, the five principal Rinzai Zen temples of the Kamakura period. It lies only a few minutes on foot from Kita-Kamakura station, set in a narrow bamboo-shaded valley. Unlike its more monumental neighbours, Jochi-ji presents itself with deliberate restraint: a stone gate, a modest 17th-century bell house, and a small main hall enshrining the three Buddhas of past, present and future. The Daibutsu hiking trail to the Great Buddha of Kamakura begins just behind the precinct, leading through wooded hills. A visit offers a well-kept piece of medieval Zen culture in rural quiet.