Eishoji

神奈川県

Kamakura's only nunnery — built by Ieyasu's concubine Eishoin on the site of Ota Dokan's residence

Founded

1636

Type

Temple

Visited

Want to go

Access

12 min walk from JR Kamakura Station West Exit

1-16-3 Ogigayatsu, Kamakura, Kanagawa

Open in Google Maps ↗

Info

Temple

Founded 1636

390 years

Enshrined Deity

阿弥陀三尊

Founder

Eishoin (Okatsu no Kata)

Overview

Founded in 1636 (Kan'ei 13) by Eishoin (Okatsu no Kata), a concubine of Tokugawa Ieyasu — the only nunnery in Kamakura. Built on the site traditionally said to be the residence of Ota Dokan, its abbesses were successively welcomed from the Mito Tokugawa family, earning it the name 'the Mito nunnery.' Eishoin was a fifth-generation descendant of Ota Dokan, and her connection to this place ran deep.…

Read more

Origins

The site in Ogigayatsu is traditionally said to have been the residence of the warrior-administrator Ota Dokan, making it long associated with the samurai class. In 1636 (Kan'ei 13), Eishoin (known as Okatsu no Kata), a concubine of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founded Eishoji Temple on this ground. Eishoin is …

Read more

句
Haiku Composed Here
— 2

木々の芽や寺復興の尼悲願

Takahama Kyoshi

Seasonal word

木の芽（春）

鎌倉唯一の尼寺・英勝寺が明治期に失った山門の再建を願う尼の悲願を、木々の芽吹きに重ねた虚子の一句。「寺復興の尼悲願」と直截に句に込められた寺への眼差しが温かい。

Show all haiku · 1

Divine Benefits

Purification

Rebirth in Pure Land

Cleansing impurity, spiritual purification, driving away evil. Rooted in misogi ablutions and goma fire rites.

Derived from the enshrined deity "阿弥陀三尊"

記
Related Articles
— 4

Eishoji Temple: A Complete Guide to Kamakura's Only Convent

Eishoji in Kamakura's Ogigayatsu district is the city's only convent, founded by Eisho-in, a concubine of Tokugawa Ieyasu, on the site of Ota Dokan's former residence. Its early Edo-period buildings are Important Cultural Properties, surrounded by bamboo groves and iris flowers.

Hojo Masako: The Nun Shogun's Life and Kamakura Pilgrimage Sites

Hojo Masako (1157–1225) co-founded the Kamakura shogunate as Minamoto no Yoritomo's wife and led it to victory in the Jokyu War as the Nun Shogun. A comprehensive guide to Masako-related sites in Kamakura — Jufukuji, Anyoin, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, and Eishoji — with efficient visiting routes.

Hojo Tokimasa: First Regent of Kamakura — Life and Pilgrimage Guide

Hojo Tokimasa supported the Kamakura shogunate's founding by giving his daughter Masako to Yoritomo, and became its first regent in 1203. After power struggles including the Hiki clan's destruction and Hatakeyama Shigetada's fall, he was ousted and retired to Izu. A detailed guide to associated sites in Izu and Kamakura.

もっと詳しく · 1

人
Related Figures
— 3

Tokugawa Ieyasu

First Shogun of Edo

Age 93 at founding (posthumous)

Eishoin (Okatsu no Kata) was one of the concubines of Tokugawa Ieyasu. As a descendant of Ota Dokan, after Ieyasu's death she took Buddhist vows at this site — said to be Dokan's former residence — and founded Eishoji.

Builder of Edo Castle

Age 204 at founding (posthumous)

The site of Eishoji in Ogigayatsu is traditionally said to be the former residence of Ota Dokan, the celebrated commander who built Edo Castle. Eishoin was a fifth-generation descendant of Dokan and is said to have founded the temple on land linked to her ancestor.

Takahama Kyoshi

Grand Master of Modern Haiku

Takahama Kyoshi, who lived long in Kamakura and led modern haiku, often visited Eishoji and deeply resonated with the nun's wish to restore the Mountain Gate lost in the Meiji era. He left two haiku: 'The buds of trees — the nun's wish for the temple's revival' and 'The nun's wish to keep the temple — peony buds.'

Posts

2

＋

New

Popular

あ

あきとし

2026/5/31

このエリアは穴が掘られていることがとても多いです。鎌倉の山は比較的柔らかいのに起因しており、本堂の裏にも神様が祀られていました

1

あ

あきとし

2026/5/31

太田道灌の邸宅跡を、徳川家康に支えていた英勝院がお寺にしたというルーツ。入り口からワクワク。拝観料が300円かかりますが、人も多すぎず、見所も沢山。オススメできるお寺です。

1

Goshuin

No goshuin posts yet

Related Spots

Grave of Ota Dokan

Also Worth Visiting

Founded by Masako with Eisai — Kamakura's 3rd Zen temple, with Masako and Sanetomo's cave tombs

Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)

The Great Buddha of Kamakura — a National Treasure bronze statue cast from 1252, left open to the sky since a 1498 tsunami swept away its hall

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Kamakura's guardian shrine since Yoritomo's 1180 relocation — site of Sanetomo's assassination by the great ginkgo

Grave of Ota Dokan

Mountain-slope cenotaph of Ota Dokan — builder of Edo Castle — on his former Kamakura estate

Japan's largest wooden Kannon (9.18m) — Bando Pilgrimage Station 4, famed for hydrangeas and ocean views

Japan's first full-scale Zen training monastery, founded 1253 by Tokiyori — head of Kamakura's Five Mountains

Founded by Hojo Tokimune to mourn his brother — Kamakura's 4th Zen temple, enshrining Hotei in a quiet valley

Founded by Hojo Tokimune to mourn Mongol War dead — Kamakura's 2nd Zen temple with a National Treasure Shariden

記

Suggest an update

Suggest fixes to the location, history, visiting hours, access, facilities, notes and more

›

Report incorrect info ›

Get the app for a better experience

Auto stamp via GPS, offline access, and favorites tracking

View in app

＋

Explore pilgrimage with the app

View in app

✕