Tokei-ji Temple
東慶寺
Historically known as the “Temple of Severed Ties,” where women could divorce after completing a period of training; today it is famous for its seasonal flowers and a quiet cemetery.
Tōkei-ji was founded in 1285 by Kakusan-ni, the wife of Hōjō Tokimune. In the Edo period it was recognised by the shogunate as an “Enmekiri-dera” (Temple of Severed Ties): a wife who entered the temple and completed about two years of training could have her marriage dissolved. It was one of the rare refuges available to women in feudal times and remained a convent until before the Meiji era. Today its flowers bloom through the seasons: plum blossoms in February, iris in June, iwa-tabako (Conandron) on the rock walls, and bush clover in September. The cemetery behind the temple holds the graves of scholars including D. T. Suzuki and Nishida Kitarō. Many areas inside the temple are off-limits to photography, so please follow the posted signs. Admission is several hundred yen. It is about 4 minutes' walk from Kita-Kamakura Station.
Opening hours
9:00 am–4:00 pm (winter until 3:30 pm)
Nearby sights
- Jochi-ji Temple
- Engaku-ji Temple
- Meigetsu-in
- Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine
- Kencho-ji Temple
- Sasuke Inari Shrine
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
- Komachi-dori