Kamakura's oldest Zen temple (1253) and the Tenen hiking trail crossing the hills to Zuisen-ji temple; admission 500 ¥.
The Kenchoji temple is the oldest and first-ranked of the five great Zen temples of Kamakura (Kamakura Gozan), founded in 1253 under the patronage of the regent Hojo Tokiyori with the Chinese monk Rankei Doryu as abbot. The precinct has a grandeur unusual in Japanese Buddhism: the avenue of centuries-old cedars leading from the San-mon gate to the Butsuden (Buddha hall), the Zen meditation hall and the rock gardens originally designed by Rankei Doryu himself. Behind the temple begins the Tenen hiking trail, a four-kilometre path that climbs the hills of Kamakura to the peak of Mount Hanzawa (159 m), with views over Sagami Bay and the rooftops of the old town, before descending to the garden of the Zuisen-ji temple, famous for its daffodils and plum trees in spring and for being the only garden in Kamakura designed entirely in the 14th century. Admission to Kenchoji costs 500 ¥; the Tenen trail is free. The hike takes between one and two hours at a relaxed pace. Wear comfortable shoes.
