Buddhist temple
Kakuon-ji
覚園寺（かくおんじ）
Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
A temple in a valley (yato) in Nikaidō, Kamakura, which enshrines its principal image, a seated Yakushi triad, in the Yakushi hall that serves as its main hall. It preserves many Buddhist statues, including the Twelve Divine Generals and the Kuro Jizō.
English pages are the site’s own translations of its Japanese pages. The sources cited are in Japanese. 日本語で読む
Prayers associated with this place
Principal image: the Yakushi triad (seated)
History and things to know
According to temple tradition, it began as the Ōkura Yakushi-dō, built by Hōjō Yoshitoki in 1218 out of devotion to Yakushi Nyorai. In 1296 Hōjō Sadatoki, praying that the Mongol invasions would not come again, invited the precept master Chikai Shin'e as founding priest, made it a place to study the four schools of Shingon, Tendai, Zen and Pure Land together, and named it Kakuon-ji.
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Before you visit
There are periods when regular visits are suspended, such as August and the New Year holidays, and photography is not permitted beyond the visitor reception. Please check the latest information on the official website before visiting.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 覚園寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-22 確認）
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