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Kamakura Pilgrimage to Seven Lucky Deities
Shichi 七 means seven, fuku 福 means luck, and jin 人 means god
Seven Sites in Kamakura
Most people no longer walk the circuit in its entirety , but instead combine their feet with cars, buses, trains, or bicycles. Using any combination of the above, one can complete this circuit in four or five hours. To document their journey, some pilgrims purchase a rectangular stamping sheet at their first location, then present it to each successive temple or shrine for stamping. Nowadays, people don't necessarily follow the exact order given below. Instead, they combine Hase Dera (#2) and Goryō Shrine (#6), both on the western side of town, and both within a short walking distance of the Big Buddha of Kamakura.
- Myōgonzan Hongakuji Temple 妙厳本覚寺 -- Ebisu, the god of the ocean, fishing folk, sailors, commerce, and fair dealing. Japanese origin. Learn about the temple here. One hundred and fifty meters southeast of JR Kamakura Station. See note about special Ebisu festivals in Kamakura.
- Hase-dera Temple 長谷寺 -- Daikokuten, the god of agriculture, farming, wealth, and commerce. Also the god of five cereals. Origin India (Skt. = Mahakala). The Daikoku effigy here is a wood statue dated to 1412 AD. Learn about the temple here. Three hundred meters northwest of Hase Station on the Enoden Line.
- Hōkaiji (Hokaiji) Temple 宝戒寺 -- Bishamonten, the god of treasure, scourge of evil doers, defender of the Buddhist faith, and patron of warriors. Origin India (Skt. = Vaisravana). An-yo-in Temple 安養院 used to be on the list until 1997. Learn about Hōkaiji here or learn about An-yo-in here. Four hundred meters northeast of JR Kamakura Station.
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine 鶴岡八幡宮 -- Benzaiten, the goddess of music, fine arts, beauty, eloquence, and literature. Origin India (Skt. = Sarasvati). The only female in the group of seven. Learn about the shrine here. Two hundred meters northeast of JR Kamakura Station.
- Jōchiji (Jochiji) Temple 浄智寺 -- Hotei, the god of contentment, happiness, bartenders, and all classes of people. Origin China (Chn. = Putai, Budai). Thought to be an incarnation of Miroku Bosatsu), Hotei is widely known in the West as the Fat, Laughing Buddha. Learn about the temple here. Some 400 meters south of Kita-Kamakura Station
- Goryō (Goryo) Jinja Shrine 御霊神社 -- Fukurokuju, the god of wealth (fuku 福), happiness (roku 禄), and longevity (ju 寿). Origin Chinese Taoism. A personification of the southern polar star (Jp. = Nankyokusei 南極星). Learn about the shrine here. Three hundred meters west of Hase Station on the Enoden Line.
- Myōryūji (Myoryuji) Temple 妙隆寺 -- Jurōjin, the god of wisdom and longevity. Origin Chinese Taoism. A personification of the southern polar star (Jp. = Nankyokusei 南極星) and a Chinese Taoist sennin 仙人 (immortal) of China's Northern Song 北宋 period. Learn about the temple here. Three hundred meters northeast of JR Kamakura Station.
Note
Ebisu Festivals in Kamakura
When: Annually from January 1 to 3, and January 10.
Events: People come to pray for the prosperity of their business and a good economy in the coming year. Fuku-Musume (fortune maidens) in beautiful traditional costume sell lucky bamboo ornaments (Fuku-Zasa) during the "Ebisu-Ichi" market from January 1 to January 3 at the Hongaku-ji Temple, home to the deity Ebisu. January 10 is the day of the main "Ebisu-Taisai" festival, with the New Year "Fuku-Mochi" lucky-rice-cake-making ritual performed from noon following the "Hon-Ebisu" Buddhist prayer service held in the morning. For details, contact Hongaku-ji Temple (Tel: 0467-22-0490). For other events, please see Kanagawa Japan Tourist Guide.
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