Sacred place for the Samurai
and Source of their culture and thought

When the first samurai government in Japanese history was established in Kamakura at the end of the 12th century, many shrines and temples were built as guardian deities and Buddhas for the samurai. For the next 700 years, Kamakura attracted the faith of the samurai. Kamakura also played a role as a place for the cultivation of culture by the samurai, and many cultural elements that were introduced from China (then the Song Dynasty) after diplomatic relations were resumed were accepted by the Kamakura samurai. Among these, Zen was given special importance. Zen thought was fused with the samurai code of conduct, and became the source of "Bushido," which became widely known around the world in modern times. Kamakura's shrines and temples allow us to learn about the history of samurai faith and the samurai culture and ideas that influenced the world.