There is a basic format for the layout of Zen Buddhist Temples. They are symmetrical with the most important buildings being in the middle. They are laid out on a North/South line and are entered into over a bridge symbolically leaving the earthly world to that of Buddha.
Kencho-ji is the foremost of the five great temples of Kamakura and is the oldest Temple in Japan. The first dojo (school). It was founded in 1253.
The bell was cast in 1255.
It was amazing hearing and experiencing the Zen meditations. I wish I'd had more time to listen. They also burn incense and the smell was great.
This garden is in the shape of a kanji (character or word in Japanese) that means heart and mind.
We missed the small Toke-ji shrine on our adventures. (There are over 40 shrines in the Kamakura area I had to be choosy and pick a path that would cover the best ones I could!) It is an interesting story though. It was founded in 1285 as a refuge for women in unhappy marriages. It is also known as Enkiri-dera, the divorce temple. In those days a man could easily divorce his wife by sending her back to her family, but a woman had no choices, no matter how bad her situation was. However, if she ran away and made it to this temple she was able to stay (receive sanctuary) and become a nun. After 3 years she was declared divorced.
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