Monju Festival at Jorakuji Temple (常楽寺)

What is the Monju Festival at Jorakuji Temple?

The Monju Festival (文殊祭) is a Buddhist memorial service held every January 25 at Jorakuji Temple (常楽寺) in Ofuna (大船). On this day only, the temple opens the Monjudo Hall (文殊堂) to unveil its hidden statue, the wooden seated Monju Bosatsu (木造文殊菩薩坐像), and holds a service in its honor. Monju Bosatsu (Manjusri) is the Buddhist deity of wisdom, and families praying for success in their studies and entrance exams typically come to pay their respects.

Date and Time

The service typically begins at 14:00. It is held on January 25 every year, regardless of the day of the week. On the evening before, January 24, an eve festival (宵祭) is held, typically starting at 18:00.

Highlights: Sutra Reading by Monks from Kenchoji Temple

Many monks come from Kenchoji Temple (建長寺) for this grand service. More than ten monks enter the small Monjudo Hall and sit inside and along its veranda to perform tendoku (転読), a ritual reading of the Great Wisdom Sutra (大般若経) in which each folded sutra book is fanned open from side to side. The chanting echoes through the temple grounds.

On festival day, banners reading “Monju Daibosatsu” line the approach, and curtains are hung on the Main Gate and the Monjudo Hall. The Main Gate, normally kept closed, is opened for the festival.

The Hidden Statue of Monju Bosatsu

The seated Monju Bosatsu is a Kanagawa Prefecture Important Cultural Property from the Kamakura period, holding a nyoi scepter in its right hand and a sutra scroll in its left. Its head is said to have been brought from Song China by the temple’s founding priest, Daikaku Zenji (大覚禅師), also known as Rankei Doryu (蘭渓道隆). The doors stay closed the rest of the year, and the statue is unveiled only on the festival day.

Viewing Tips

Visitors gather in front of the Monjudo Hall and between the Monjudo Hall and the Buddha Hall to watch the service. The hall itself cannot be entered, so the statue cannot be seen up close, and it is hard to see from outside. Admission is by donation.

About Jorakuji Temple

Jorakuji Temple is a Rinzai Zen temple of the Kenchoji school that began as a hall built by Hojo Yasutoki (北条泰時), the third regent of the Kamakura shogunate. The thatched Monjudo Hall was moved here in the early Meiji period from Eishoji Temple (英勝寺) in Ogigayatsu (扇ガ谷). The grounds also hold the Buddha Hall and a stone monument said to be Yasutoki’s grave.

Access: Visiting During Your Stay at Toshi’s Place

Jorakuji Temple is about a 15-minute walk from the east exit of JR Ofuna Station (大船駅). You can also take a bus from Ofuna Station to the “Jorakuji” bus stop. From Toshi’s Place, take the Enoden Line from Hase Station (長谷駅) or Wadazuka Station (和田塚駅) to Kamakura Station (鎌倉駅), then the JR Yokosuka Line to Ofuna Station.

On the same day, January 25, the Hatsu-Tenjin Festival and Fude Kuyo Brush Memorial is held at Egara Tenjin Shrine (荏柄天神社) in Nikaido (二階堂). Both are events connected with learning. Toshi’s Place, a fully unstaffed smart hotel offering room-only stays with a fully equipped kitchen, lets you explore Kamakura at your own pace.

Summary

The Monju Festival at Jorakuji Temple is a once-a-year service in which the hidden statue of Monju Bosatsu is unveiled and monks from Kenchoji Temple perform a ritual reading of the Great Wisdom Sutra. For the temple’s highlights throughout the year, see Jorakuji Temple.

Basic Information

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