Buddhist temple
Tōkei-ji
東慶寺（とうけいじ）
Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture
A temple of the Engaku-ji school of Rinzai Zen in Kita-Kamakura, with the mountain name Shōkōzan. It was once known as a convent with a temple law of divorce; a seated statue of Shaka Nyorai, the principal image, is enshrined in the main hall, and a statue of Suigetsu Kannon is housed in the Suigetsudō.
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: Shaka Nyorai
History and things to know
According to the temple's tradition, it was founded in Kōan 8 (1285) with the nun Kakusan Shidō, wife of Hōjō Tokimune, as founding abbess and Hōjō Sadatoki as founding patron, and as a temple for the relief of women, where a woman who fled here could obtain a divorce, it kept its temple law of divorce for about 600 years until the Meiji period. When a daughter of Emperor Go-Daigo became its fifth abbess, it was ranked second among the Five Kamakura Convents, and in Meiji 38 (1905) Zen Master Shaku Sōen entered the temple and revived it. The present main hall was built in Shōwa 10 (1935).
Introduced by this site, based on materials from the shrine or temple and public bodies.
Related kami and buddhas
Before you visit
There is no admission fee; visitors pay respects at the main hall (principal image). The statue of Suigetsu Kannon is shown on the 18th of every month.
Official website of the shrine or temple (may be in Japanese)
Sources (in Japanese)
- 東慶寺「御祭神・御本尊・由緒の公式案内」（2026-10-21 確認）
This site is independent of the shrines, temples, and other websites mentioned. No partnership or endorsement is implied.