Hōkai-ji

The temple of Tōshō-ji was built in 1237 by Hōjō Yasutoki in memory of his mother and, according to the Taiheiki, from its foundation until the end of the Kamakura shogunate it was the Hōjō's funerary temple (bodaiji); every Hōjō regent had been buried there.Kamiya Vol. 1 (2006/08: 53–55) The Taiheiki relates how on July 4, 1333, when the shogunate fell at the hands of Nitta Yoshisada, almost all members of the Hōjō clan in Kamakura barricaded themselves inside Tōshō-ji, set it on fire and killed themselves, leaving just a few survivors.Gregorian date obtained directly from the original Nengō (Genkō 3, 21st day of the 5th month) using [https://uni-tuebingen.de/geschichte-japans/nengo_calc.htm Nengocalc] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014735/http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/geschichte-japans/nengo_calc.htm |date=September 30, 2007 }}. Nengō taken from Kamiya (2006:237). Recent excavations in situ have revealed the basic structure of the temple, shards of Chinese pottery, and roof tiles bearing the Hōjō family crest. Stones and other surfaces altered by heat were found, which confirmed the presence of a fire.

File:Stele Houkai-ji Kamakura.jpg

The man who would later become the first of the Ashikaga shōguns, Ashikaga Takauji, was given by Emperor Go-Daigo the order to build a new temple, today's Hōkai-ji, in a certain spot in Komachi, move there the remains of the clan and make it the new Hōjō funeral temple. (Tōshō-ji was rebuilt where it used to stand.) That particular area was chosen because it had been until 1333 the Hōjō clan's Komachi residence. Later, because the locals claimed that the neighborhood was still haunted by Hōjō ghosts, a shrine called Tokusō GongenTokusō (得宗) was the title held by the head of the Hōjō clan. was erected within the temple to placate them.Mutsu (1995/06:279–280) The shrine still stands next to Hōkai-ji's main hall.

The stele at the temple's entrance (see photo on the left) reads:Original Japanese text available [http://www.kcn-net.org/sisekihi/houzyou.htm here]

This is where the Komachi residence of the Hōjō clan used to stand. Starting from [second regent] Hōjō Yoshitoki, the regents usually lived here. [Last regent] Hōjō Takatoki would party here day and night and sometimes would, together with the other vassals, toss a dengaku performer a mountain of hitatare (a type of garment) and hakama as a reward. The mansion was destroyed by fire during Nitta Yoshisada's invasion of Kamakura in 1333. Today's Hōkai-ji was built here in 1335 by Ashikaga Takauji. This temple was built here as the Hōjō's funeral temple to soothe the resentment of Takatoki and his clan, who had previously been enshrined at Tōshō-ji.

After the failure of Emperor Go-Daigo's Kenmu Restoration and his consequent fall from power, Hōkai-ji came under the protection of Ashikaga Takauji himself. The temple's shichidō garan was finally completed around 1353. The temple was completely destroyed by fire in 1538.Temple's pamphlet At the beginning of the Edo period, Tenkai, founder of Kan'ei-ji, asked shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu if the temple could be supported and maintained by the state.

File:Taishidou Houkaiji Kamakura.jpgThe temple's Hon-dō is open to the public and contains many valuable objects. Among the others, it houses Hōkai-ji's main object of worship, a seated statue of Jizō Bosatsu carved in wood around 1365 by artist Sanjō Hōin Ken'en. The statue is a national Important Cultural Asset. On the two sides stand the statues of gods Bonten (Brahma) and Taishakuten (Indra), both made during the Nanboku-chō period and both prefectural Important Cultural Properties. There are also the statues of the Ten Deva Kings, of Enma, lord of the Beyond, and a sitting statue of the temple's founder Enkan. Finally, the Main Hall contains another national Important Cultural Property, a statue of Shokei, the second head priest of the temple, made in 1372.

To the right of the Main Hall stands the Kankiten-dō, a small structure enshrining {{nihongo|Kangiten (or Kankiten)|歓喜天|god of delight}}, who is the Buddhist version of god Ganesh.Kōjien Japanese dictionary The 152 cm statue inside the building, representing two elephant-headed human beings (a male and a female) embracing, represents him. Because of the statue's sexual connotations, the building however is, like most halls dedicated to this deity, closed to the public.

The shrine and the torii nearby constitute {{nihongo|Tokusō Daigongen|得宗大権現|Tokusō's shrine}}, founded to pacify the souls of the Hōjō. The building was rebuilt in 1992 and contains a statue of Hōjō Takatoki, the last regent and, following protocol, the last Hōjō to kill himself.

Next to the entrance stands the {{nihongo|Taishi-dō|太子堂|Prince's Hall}} dedicated to Prince Shotoku, who adopted Buddhism as the official religion of Japan. On the doors is visible the chrysanthemum, symbol of the Imperial Household. Every year on January 22, carpenters, plasterers and blacksmiths gather together for the memorial service held in his honor.A Guide to Kamakura The prince was directly responsible for the construction of many temples, Hōryū-ji among the others.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book

| last = Kamakura Shōkō Kaigijo

| title = Kamakura Kankō Bunka Kentei Kōshiki Tekisutobukku

| publisher = Kamakura Shunshūsha

| year = 2008

| location = Kamakura

| language = Japanese

| isbn = 978-4-7740-0386-3

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Kamiya

| first = Michinori

| title = Fukaku Aruku – Kamakura Shiseki Sansaku Vol. 1

| publisher = Kamakura Shunshūsha

| date = August 2000

| location = Kamakura

| language = Japanese

| isbn = 4-7740-0340-9

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Mutsu

| first = Iso |author-link=Iso Mutsu

| title = Kamakura. Fact and Legend

| publisher = Tuttle Publishing

| date = June 1995

| location = Tokyo

| isbn = 0-8048-1968-8

| oclc = 33184655

}}

• Pamphlet from Hōkai-ji, May 25, 2009
• {{cite book

|last=Shirai

|first=Eiji

|title=Kamakura Jiten

|publisher=Tōkyōdō Shuppan

|year=1976

|isbn=4-490-10303-4

|language=Japanese

}}

• Kondō Takahiro, A Guide to Kamakura, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110514103902/http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~QM9T-KNDU/hokaiji.htm Hokaiji] accessed on May 26, 2009

{{commons category|Hokai-ji (Kamakura)}}

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{{Buddhist temples in Japan}}

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Category:Buddhist temples in Kamakura, Kanagawa

Category:Tendai temples