Chojuji Temple Special Opening
- Dates
- Fri, Oct 30, 2026 – Mon, Dec 7, 2026
- Usually
- Set days from April to June in spring and from October to early December in autumn, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Cancelled in rain.
- Venue
- Chojuji Temple
What Is the Chojuji Temple Special Opening?
Chojuji Temple (長寿寺) stands at the northern end of the Kamegayatsu-zaka (亀ヶ谷坂) pass in Kita-Kamakura (北鎌倉). It is a sub-temple (tatchu) of Kenchoji Temple (建長寺) and is linked to Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏), the first shogun of the Muromachi shogunate. Its gate is usually closed, and visitors can enter the grounds and buildings only on the special opening days set in spring and autumn.
Opening Days and Admission
The special opening is held every year in spring and autumn. In spring, it is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in April and May, and from Wednesday to Sunday in June. In autumn, it is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from October to November 22, and every day from November 23 to early December. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The opening is cancelled in rain, and the decision is made at 9:00 a.m. on the day. If it starts to rain during the day, the opening may be stopped at that point. Check this year’s dates in the schedule box at the top of this page.
Admission is 500 yen, paid at the reception just inside the main gate.
Highlights: The Garden Seen from the Shoin and Kohojo
A visit begins with a prayer in the main hall. Take off your shoes at the entrance, go up into the main hall to pray, and then continue along the corridor to the shoin (書院), a reception hall, and the kohojo (小方丈), the small abbot’s quarters.
In both rooms, red felt (mosen) is laid along the windows, with floor cushions and chairs, so you can sit and look at the garden. From the shoin you see the Kannon Hall (観音堂) and the front garden, and from the kohojo you see a karesansui (枯山水), a dry landscape garden of white gravel and moss. The large windows, open from floor to ceiling, frame the garden like a picture.
Highlights: The Thatched Kannon Hall and Takauji’s Stone Pagoda
After leaving the buildings, follow the garden path to the Kannon Hall. This thatched-roof hall was originally a two-storied pagoda (tahoto) at Enjoji Temple (円成寺) in Nara, rebuilt and moved here in the Taisho era (1912–1926). Inside is a statue of Sho Kannon (聖観音), and the ceiling is painted. The temple also enshrines seated statues of Ashikaga Takauji and of its founding priest (古先印元).
Climb the steps beyond the Kannon Hall to a yagura (やぐら), a cave tomb carved into the hillside, typical of Kamakura. Inside stands a gorinto (五輪塔), a five-tiered stone pagoda, where Takauji’s son Ashikaga Motouji (足利基氏) is said to have buried his father’s hair. From this slightly higher spot, you can look down on the trees around the Kannon Hall.
Autumn Leaves
During the autumn opening, the leaves turn most vividly around the Kannon Hall, and they are usually at their best from late November to early December. The maples in the garden seen from the kohojo may turn a little later than those around the Kannon Hall. In the autumn leaves season, a line can form at the gate before it opens at 10:00 a.m.
About Chojuji Temple
According to tradition, the temple’s history began in 1336, when Ashikaga Takauji built a temple on the site of his own residence and gave it the first rank among the shozan (諸山), the temples ranked just below the Five Great Zen Temples. Takauji died in Kyoto in 1358 and was called “Chojuji-dono” in the Kanto region. After his death, his son Ashikaga Motouji, the first Kamakura kubo (鎌倉公方), the shogun’s deputy in eastern Japan, built a full set of temple halls (shichido garan) to mourn his father.
Temple Rules
In its rules for visitors, the temple does not allow visits for the purpose of taking photographs. It also asks visitors to stay on the paving stones, not to step on the moss, to visit quietly, and not to smoke anywhere on the grounds. Please refrain from talking inside the buildings and enjoy the garden in silence. You can receive a goshuin (御朱印), a temple seal stamp, just after going up into the main hall.
Access: Visiting During Your Stay at Toshi’s Place
Chojuji Temple is about a 15-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station (北鎌倉駅) on the JR Yokosuka Line. It lies to the west of Kenchoji Temple, so you can combine it with a tour of the temples of Kita-Kamakura.
If you stay in Kamakura, you can head to Kita-Kamakura in the morning, in time for the 10:00 a.m. opening, even in the busy autumn leaves season. At Toshi’s Place, fully unstaffed smart hotels with full kitchens and no meals provided, you can explore Kamakura at your own pace.
Summary
The Chojuji Temple Special Opening is a chance to enter a temple linked to Ashikaga Takauji that is usually closed, on set days in spring and autumn only. You can look at the dry landscape garden from rooms laid with red felt, and walk to the thatched Kannon Hall and Takauji’s stone pagoda. For the temple’s regular highlights, see Chojuji Temple.
Basic Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Chojuji Temple Special Opening |
| Opening days | Spring: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in April and May, Wednesday to Sunday in June / Autumn: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from October to November 22, every day from November 23 to early December |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| Rain | Cancelled in rain (decided at 9:00 a.m.; may be stopped during the day) |
| Admission | 500 yen |
| Venue | Chojuji Temple (main hall, shoin, kohojo, Kannon Hall, garden and yagura) |
| Address | 1503 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa |
| Photography | Visits for the purpose of photography are not allowed |
| Access | About 15 minutes’ walk from Kita-Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line |
| Contact | Chojuji Temple +81-467-22-2147 |
| Official information | Chojuji Temple Special Opening (Kamakura City Tourism Association, Japanese) |