Kamakura Pilgrimages

Kamakura is a small town in size with less than 40 square kilometers and yet there are several pilgrimages for the devout to make a circuit of the designated temples. Visiting those temples one by one and worshiping Buddha statues, they sought divine favors. Often, their wishes were met and more people joined those itinerant worshipers. In ancient days, there were no cars, buses, or trains, pilgrims had no choice but to complete their rounds on foot, which must have made them healthy at least. They believed the health was given to them by divine favor. Today's pilgrims, however, often use cars, buses or other transportation modes. As a result, good health is not always with them and pilgrimages are becoming less popular. The following are the pilgrimages in Kamakura:

Shichifukujin
Pilgrimage to the Shichifukujin {she-chee-foo-koo-gin}, the Seven Deities of Good Fortune (a Group of Seven), which have the following temples or shrines.

• Hongakuji---Ebisu {a-be-soo}, the deity of commerce and fishermen. Japanese origin. The Mercury or Hermes of Japan. The statue holds a big sea bream under his left arm and a fishing rod in his right hand.

• Hase-dera---Daikokuten {dye-kok-ten}, the god of wealth or Mahakala in Sanskrit. The God of Five Cereals. Origin: India. Wears a hood and holds a big bag filled with treasures on his left shoulder. In his right hand, he holds a luck mallet.

• Hokaiji---Bishamonten {be-shah-mon-ten}, the god of treasure and warriors. Vaisravana in Sanskrit. Origin: India. Wears armor and carries a small pagoda. (An-yo-in used to be on the list until 1997.)

• Hataage Benzaiten in Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine---Benzaiten {ben-zye-ten}. The goddess of eloquence, music and wisdom; Sarasvati in Sanskrit. Plays the biwa or Japanese mandolin. Origin: India.

• Jochiji---Hotei {ho-tay}, the god of contentment and happiness. Holds a big bag and a fan. He is said to be the only human being among the Shichifukujin and thought to be a Zen priest who was an incarnation of Bodhisattva Maitreya. Origin: China.

• Goryo Jinja---Fukurokuju {foo-koo-ro-koo-jew}: the god of wealth. Origin: China.

• Myoryuji---Jurojin {jew-roh-jin}: the aged god of Longevity. Origin: China

Thirty-Three Kan'non Pilgrimage

According to the Lotus Sutra, Kan'non has 33 transformations in order to perform his task of salvation. Though Kamakura does not have all 33 forms of Kan'non statue, there are 33 old and famed temples sacred to Kan'non. It has long been believed that visiting these temples in order is an act of great merit. The following is the order of the Kamakura Thirty-Three Kan'non Pilgrimage:

Twenty-Four Jizo Pilgrimage

Records show that the Kamakura Twenty-Four Jizo Pilgrimage had existed in 1725. With the decline of Buddhism, however, the Pilgrimage gradually became obsolete, especially after the Meiji Imperial Restoration of 1868. After Shinto was designated as the state religion, many of the Buddha statues were thrown away, destroyed or just disappeared. In 1901, Jizo worshipers checked how many Jizo statues were extant and confirmed there were 24. To promote worship for Jizo, Buddhist groups reinstated this round of pilgrimage same year. Most of them are located in the city of Kamakura, but a few will be found in the outskirts of the city.

Sugimoto-dera has two Jizo statues. A wooden statue enshrined in the main hall and the other is a stone statue placed open-air in the courtyard.

The statue of Yagara-Jizo at Engakuji is no longer extant as it was destroyed by the 1923 earthquake. Only a stone monument stands in the courtyard of Keisho-an, Engakuji. Yagara means an arrow and the story behind this Jizo relate to a samurai called Gongoro Kamakura. During a fierce battle in late 11th century, his left eye was shot by an enemy's arrow. Without being daunted at all, he continued the fight and came back to the camp with the arrow still in his eye. To pay homage to his braveness, a Jizo statue was carved as his guardian deity. See Goryo Jinja.

Kenchoji has three Jizo statues which are on the list of the Jizo Pilgrimage. Since no literatures clarified exactly where those statues are enshrined, I wrote a letter to the Education Department of this temple enclosing a self-addressed envelop and a postage stamp. Ten day later, I received their reply, which said that Saita Jizo is enshrined in the body of Jizo Bosatsu Statue, the main object of worship at Kenchoji, and Shinpeiji Jizo at the right-hand side of the main hall surrounded by miniature Jizo statues.

Six Amida (Amitabha) Pilgrimage

Notes:
Pilgrims usually carry a seal-book and have the custodians of the temples stamp its seal on the book as a proof of their visit.

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