The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1217 page)

 
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Kamakura
.

Major centre in Japan of Shinto shrines, and of Buddhist temples and monasteries. Due south of Tokyo, it was a fishing village which became the effective capital in 1185. The principal Shinto shrine, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, is dedicated (as the name states) to
Hachiman
. Among the Zen monasteries, Kencho-ji is of particular importance, because Zen monks are still trained there. It was founded by Tao-lung in 1253, and is built, like the classic monasteries of
Ky
to
, on the single-axis design.
Engaku-ji
(also Enkaku-ji), founded thirty years later, contains a Relic Hall in which one of the
Buddha
kyamuni's teeth is preserved; several of its buildings were destroyed in an earthquake in 1923. Also of note is Zuisenji, founded by Soshi in 1327, recently rebuilt and surrounded by gardens of great beauty. Kamakura contains the second largest
daibutsu
(image of the Buddha, the largest being in Todaiji). The
J
do
school is represented by the Hasedera temple, which contains a massive image of Kannon (
Avalokite
vara
) carved from a single tree, and many shrines devoted to Jiz
(see
K
ITIGARBHA
) by those who have lost infants.

 
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Kamakura Period
.

The period in Japan of the Kamakura shoguns, 1192–
c.
1338. It was a period when Buddhism flourished. See
BUDDHISM IN JAPAN
.

 
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