{"id":30977,"date":"2026-11-13T02:20:08","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T17:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kamakuraguide.com\/?page_id=30977"},"modified":"2026-11-13T14:32:55","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T05:32:55","slug":"gotane","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kamakuraguide.com\/en\/kitakamakura\/kenchoji-kamakura\/gotane\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenchoji Temple Gotan-e (Buddha’s Birthday)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Flower-decked
Hanamido and infant Buddha under the Sanmon gate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photo: KQuhen<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Gotan-e at Kenchoji Temple?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Gotan-e (\u964d\u8a95\u4f1a) at Kenchoji Temple (\u5efa\u9577\u5bfa)<\/a> is a Buddhist service celebrating the birth of the Buddha, held every year on April 8. It is also called Hanamatsuri (\u82b1\u307e\u3064\u308a), the Flower Festival, or Kanbutsu-e (\u704c\u4ecf\u4f1a). According to legend, sweet rain called kanro (\u7518\u9732) fell from the sky when the Buddha was born. In memory of this, a statue of the infant Buddha, the tanjobutsu (\u8a95\u751f\u4ecf), is placed inside a small flower-decked shrine called a hanamido (\u82b1\u5fa1\u5802), and sweet tea, amacha (\u7518\u8336), is poured over it. Together with Jodo-e (\u6210\u9053\u4f1a), which marks the Buddha’s enlightenment, and Nehan-e (\u6d85\u69c3\u4f1a), which marks his passing, the Gotan-e is one of the three important services dedicated to the Buddha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Illustrated
The illustration is for reference only<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Date and Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Gotan-e takes place every year on April 8, and the service usually begins at 10:00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights: The Hanamido and Chanting Monks in the Hatto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The service is held in the Hatto (\u6cd5\u5802), the Dharma Hall and the largest hall at Kenchoji Temple. A hanamido is set up in the hall, and dozens of monks chant sutras to celebrate the Buddha’s birth. After the service, a monk usually gives a short Buddhist talk, a howa (\u6cd5\u8a71), which anyone can listen to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights: Sweet Tea<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the day, sweet tea is served near the Hatto. Amacha is a lightly sweet tea made from the leaves of the amacha shrub. Each year, first-year students of the neighboring Kamakura Gakuen (\u938c\u5009\u5b66\u5712) junior high school also come to pay their respects at the Gotan-e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Hatto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Hatto is about 20 meters tall and is among the largest wooden halls in the Kanto (\u95a2\u6771) region. Its ceiling bears the Unryu-zu (\u96f2\u9f8d\u56f3), a painting of a cloud dragon by the artist Koizumi Junsaku (\u5c0f\u6cc9\u6df3\u4f5c), and at the back of the hall sits a statue of Senju Kannon (\u5343\u624b\u89b3\u97f3), the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva of Compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Visiting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The regular temple admission fee (adults 500 yen, elementary and junior high school students 200 yen) applies on the day of the Gotan-e. The fee is payable in cash only, and visiting hours are 8:30 to 16:30. April 8 often falls in cherry blossom season, and in some years you can enjoy the cherry trees along the approach. How far the blossoms are out varies from year to year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access: Visiting During Your Stay at Toshi’s Place<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kenchoji Temple is about a 15-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station (\u5317\u938c\u5009\u99c5) on the JR Yokosuka Line. From Kamakura Station (\u938c\u5009\u99c5) it is about a 30-minute walk, or you can take a bus and get off at Kenchoji Temple. If you stay at Toshi’s Place (\u30c8\u30b7\u30ba\u30d7\u30ec\u30a4\u30b9)<\/a>, take the Enoden (\u6c5f\u30ce\u96fb) from Hase (\u9577\u8c37) or Wadazuka (\u548c\u7530\u585a) to Kamakura Station and head to Kenchoji Temple in time for the 10:00 service. Also on April 8, near Gokurakuji Station (\u6975\u697d\u5bfa<\/a>\u99c5) on the Enoden, Gokurakuji Temple (\u6975\u697d\u5bfa)<\/a> holds its Gokurakuji Temple Busshoe (\u4ecf\u751f\u4f1a)<\/a>, including a Kanbutsu-e where sweet tea is poured over the infant Buddha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Gotan-e at Kenchoji Temple is a service held every April 8 before the hanamido in the Hatto to celebrate the birth of the Buddha. The temple’s everyday highlights are introduced on our Kenchoji Temple<\/a> page. In autumn, you may also enjoy the Kenchoji Temple Treasure Airing (Homotsu Kazeire)<\/a> and ZEN NIGHT KAMAKURA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic Information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>Details<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Name<\/td>Kenchoji Temple Gotan-e (\u5efa\u9577\u5bfa<\/a> \u964d\u8a95\u4f1a)<\/td><\/tr>
Date<\/td>April 8 every year<\/td><\/tr>
Time<\/td>Service from 10:00 (typical)<\/td><\/tr>
Venue<\/td>Kenchoji Temple, Hatto (Dharma Hall)<\/td><\/tr>
Admission<\/td>Temple admission: adults 500 yen, elementary and junior high school students 200 yen (cash only)<\/td><\/tr>
Address<\/td>8 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-8525<\/td><\/tr>
Access<\/td>About a 15-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line<\/td><\/tr>
Contact<\/td>Kenchoji Temple, 0467-22-0981 (8:30\u201316:30)<\/td><\/tr>
Official website<\/td>Kenchoji Temple news and events (Japanese)<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Google Map<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n<\/iframe>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo: KQuhen \/ CC BY-SA 4.0 What Is the Gotan-e at Kenchoji Temple? The Gotan-e (\u964d\u8a95\u4f1a) at Kenchoji Temple (\u5efa\u9577\u5bfa) is a Buddhist service celebrating the birth of the Buddha, held every year on April 8. It is also called Hanamatsuri (\u82b1\u307e\u3064\u308a), the Flower Festival, or Kanbutsu-e (\u704c\u4ecf\u4f1a). According to legend, sweet rain called kanro […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":31282,"parent":2643,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page__event.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"kamakura_cuisine":[],"class_list":["post-30977","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t