Engaku Temple

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The Temple is located in front of Kita-Kamakura station. In the late 13th century, during the Yuan dynasty, Mongolian troops attacked Japan twice when Tokimune Hojo of the Kamakura Shogunate was the de facto ruler of Japan. Japanese troops repulsed the Mongolian troops but a large number of samurai and soldiers were killed. Tokimune Hojo founded this Zen temple to console their souls including those of the enemy’s although, like other temples in Kamakura, it was destroyed by fire many times. The Temple is a typical Zen temple, ranked second among the top five Kamakura Zen temples. Located within the Temple are majestic buildings, Buddha statues, Japanese-style gardens and national treasures such as an old bell and the oldest Chinese-style building in Japan, called Shariden.