Event Schedule
４月7日と８日の極楽寺には見逃せない行事がたくさんあります。
以前は、4月７日から９日の3日間でしたが、令和5年（2023年）からは4月7日、8日の2日間となっています。（2021y,2022年y Photos）
This information is based on 2025 details.
👉Kamakura City Tourist Association【4月7日・8日】極楽寺 仏生会（極楽寺）
Part①
You can view and pay respects to the Seiryōji-style Shaka Nyorai, the principal hidden Buddha of Gokurakuji Temple, which will be specially opened to the public on April 7 and 8.
The statue is displayed together with the Ten Great Disciples and has been passed down since the temple’s founding.
[Opening of the Principal Image & Main Hall Worship]
April 7: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
April 8: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The principal standing statue of Shaka Nyorai, enshrined in the Tenpōrin-den and handed down since the founding of Gokurakuji Temple (designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan), will be specially opened to the public.
Visitors may also worship the statues of Ninshō Bosatsu and Kōshō Bosatsu in the Main Hall.
Incense offering fee required: ¥1,000
Reception opens from 10:00 a.m. on both days.
Part②
April 8 is celebrated as the birthday of Shakyamuni Buddha and is commonly called Hana Matsuri or Gōtan-e.
During the festival, rituals such as the Kanbutsu-e take place, where sweet tea is poured over the statue of the Infant Buddha in celebration of his birth.
[Hanamidō (Kanbutsu-e / Hana Matsuri)]
April 8: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
According to Buddhist tradition, when Shakyamuni Buddha was born, dragons descended from the heavens and bathed him with fragrant water (Makakatsu-kyō).
Based on this legend, a Buddhist ceremony is held every year on April 8, during which sweet tea (amacha) is poured over a statue of the Infant Buddha.
Please join in the celebration by pouring sweet tea over the Infant Buddha enshrined in the beautifully flower-decorated Hanamidō.
[Serving of Sweet Tea (Amacha)]
April 8: 10:00 a.m. – around 3:00 p.m. (while supplies last)
It is said that when Shakyamuni Buddha was born, the heavens celebrated by sending down a rain of sweet dew. In commemoration of this legend, sweet tea (amacha) is offered to visitors.
You can find information about Kamakura’s Hana Matsuri on this blog.
👉 2026.4.8 Hanamatsuri is the Great day that Buddha was born.
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Part③
Special Visit to the Mausoleum of Ninshō Bosatsu, Founder of Gokurakuji Temple Visitors can take a special tour of Ninshō’s Gorintō (five-ringed pagoda) located behind Gokurakuji Temple, said to be the largest in Kamakura. (Photography is not allowed.)
Photos can be viewed here. 👉 Cultural Heritage Online 「極楽寺境内・忍性墓」
[Special Visit to the Mausoleum of Ninshō Bosatsu]
April 7: 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
April 8: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Ninshō Bosatsu, the founder of Gokurakuji Temple, dedicated his life to helping the poor and the sick.
During this special visit, you can pay your respects at his mausoleum in the inner sanctuary, where his Gorintō (five-ringed pagoda), said to be the largest in Kamakura and an Important Cultural Property of Japan, still stands.
[Ceremony at the Mausoleum]
April 8: 1:00 p.m. – around 1:30 p.m.
A Buddhist service will be held in front of the Mausoleum of Ninshō Bosatsu, during which visitors are invited to join in chanting sutras together.
(In case of rain, the ceremony will take place in the Main Hall.)
Part④
A special lecture will be held only on this day.
Be sure to arrive before 10:00 a.m. if you want to get a ticket!
[Lecture: “Kamakura and Kamakura-bori” by Keiko Goto, Hakokudo]
April 7: 2:00 p.m. – around 3:00 p.m.
Join this special lecture to learn about Kamakura-bori, the traditional woodcarving technique said to have been started by Buddhist sculptors.
You’ll hear about its connection to Kamakura, how the techniques and designs have changed over time, and get a peek at modern Kamakura-bori.
Tickets go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on the day. Fee: ¥1,000 (first-come, first-served, limited to 40 people).
[Lecture: “Reading the Paintings of Risshū Temples” by Manho Nakagawa]
April 8: 2:00 p.m. – around 3:00 p.m.
Buddhist paintings can tell us a lot about history and teachings. This lecture focuses on Gokurakuji’s paintings from the Shingon Ritsu sect, while looking at the medieval Nara area around Saidaiji.
If you love history and art, this is a great chance to learn how these beautiful paintings reflect the teachings of Risshū.
Tickets go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on the day. Fee: ¥1,000 (first-come, first-served, limited to 40 people).
Part⑤
Depending on the year, the cherry blossoms can still be stunning at this time.
Gokurakuji Temple
Gokurakuji Temple (Shingon Ritsu Sect)
Founded by Ninshō, supported by Hōjō Shigetoki
Gokurakuji in Kamakura was one of the city’s major temples during the Kamakura period. At its peak, it had a large complex with seven main halls and extensive grounds—hard to imagine today’s peaceful temple site!
The temple also oversaw Wagae Island in Zaimokuza, one of Japan’s oldest port ruins, which was crucial for Kamakura’s trade. So Gokurakuji was not only a religious center but also an important part of the city’s infrastructure.
The temple’s fame grew thanks to the high priest Ninshō, who devoted himself to helping the sick, the poor, and society’s marginalized. His efforts were so remarkable that people called him the “Medicine Buddha” (Iō Nyorai).
Interestingly, Ninshō’s work was sharply criticized by Nichiren, who insisted that acts based on Shingon or Pure Land practices were not true Buddhist teachings. Their clash highlights the intellectual tensions of Kamakura Buddhism—talk about standing up to the powers of the day!
Today, you can still see the “ochausu”, a stone mill Ninshō used to grind tea leaves as medicine for the sick and poor. It’s a small but powerful reminder of how Gokurakuji was a place of practical compassion as well as spiritual devotion.
Ninshō
Ryōkanbō Ninshō (1217–1303)
Ninshō was born in 1217 in what is now Miyake Town, Nara Prefecture. He studied under Eisō at Saidaiji, learning Shingon esoteric Buddhism and monastic precepts, but he devoted much of his life to helping the poor and the sick. One famous story tells how he carried patients with leprosy on his back every day into town—a testament to his deep compassion and iron will.
After completing his training, Ninshō set out on a mission to the Kantō region in 1252 at age 36. He started his work from Sanmura-ji in Hitachi, and his reputation even reached the Kamakura shogunate.
Former regent Hōjō Tokiyori invited Eison to Kamakura, where he gave the Bodhisattva precepts to the Hōjō family and many retainers, building connections across the city. After Eison left, Ninshō moved to Kamakura and founded Gokurakuji Temple.
But here came a challenge: Nichiren. Nichiren harshly criticized all sects that did not follow the Lotus Sutra, warning that Japan would fall if temples like Kenchō-ji, Gokurakuji, and the Great Buddha Hall weren’t devoted to his teachings. He even sent Ninshō a challenge, urging him to become his follower.
During a drought, the shogunate asked Ninshō to perform rain prayers. Nichiren provocatively declared: “If it rains within seven days, you must become my disciple. If not, you must follow the Lotus Sutra.” Ninshō gathered many monks and prayed, but it didn’t rain. Nichiren criticized him for this, but an angry Ninshō, together with Ryōchū of the Jōdo sect, brought a complaint against Nichiren to the shogunate. Nichiren escaped execution at Ryūnoguchi but was exiled to Sado Island.
Nichiren didn’t hold back in his criticism. He called Nembutsu practices “the karma of endless hell,” Zen “the work of heavenly demons,” Shingon “a dangerous law for the country,” and Risshū “treasonous nonsense.” He even challenged Ninshō directly: “Elder Ninshō, quickly abandon your mocking ways and return to me, Nichiren!”
No wonder Ninshō got angry!
アクセス
Address：3-6-7 Gokurakuji, Kamakura city
Access： 2 minutes on foot from Gokurakuji Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway
Phone：0467-22-3402
Fees：Donation
Business Hours：9:00am-4:30pm (Treasure Museum: 10:00am-4:00pm)
Here’s the Goshuin book you can receive at Gokurakuji Temple.
Grab a Goshuin book and start collecting stamps!
It’s a great way to clear your mind and makes temple visits so much fun.
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