The Brief History of Sugimotodera

The First Buddhist Site in Kamakura

In spring 734, Sugimoto-dera was founded by Fusasaki Fujiwara, minister of the Imperial Court and priest Gyoki or Bodhisattva Gyoki to meet the wish of Empress Komyo.
Bodhisattva Gyoki enshrined the first Juichi-men Kannon－an image of Buddha embodied eleven faces－that he carved himself.

In 851, priest Ennin (Jikaku daishi) stayed in the temple. He carved the second Juichi-men Kannon and enshrined it.

In 986, Emperor Kazan ordered priest Genshin-Eshin Sozu to carve and enshrine the third Juichi-men Kannon. And then he designated the temple as the first amulet distributing office of the eastern part of Japan. The Emperor himself made a pilgrimage to it. The temple has since been visited by a great number of pilgrims.

On the night of November 23, 1189, a fire broke out. Those three principle images of Buddha mentioned above hid themselves under a huge cedar, according to the legend that appears in Azumakagami－the first official documents compiled by the samurai feudal government. They have since been called “Sugimoto-no-Kannon” the Kannons under the cedar.

On September 18, 1191, a ceremony was held for miracles in all ages when Shogun Minamoto-no-Yoritomo reconstructed the Kannon hall. The three Kannons were enshrined in the inner back and the Juichi-men-Kannon at a high of 6.8897ft in the front.

The first Kannon used to be called “Geba-Kannon”－geba meaning dismounting a horse－admonishing people for their faithlessness of going on horseback into the precincts. They were believed to fall off their horses. Zen Master Daigaku, founder of Kenchoji, once stayed in the hall. He prayed and masked with his surplice the eyes of the Kannon carved by Budhisttva Gyoki in order to make atonement for the sin so that the fall-off would cease to happen. The Kannon has since been called “Fukumen-Kannon”－The Mask-Kannon.

For visitors

In order to prevent COVID-19 infections, please be sure to wear a mask and sanitize your hands before entering the temple.
To avoid crowds, you cannot enter the main hall during the pandemic.

Guide to Visiting Sugimotodera

Address

903, Nikaido, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture 248-0002, Japan
Phone : 0467-22-3463
Fax : 0467-22-5977

Opening hours

9 : 00 – 15 : 00 (Weekdays)
9 : 00 – 16 : 00 (Weekend)

Admission Fees

General Admission fee (Age 16+) : 300 yen
junior high school students (Age 13 – 15) : 200 yen
Children (Age 7 – 12) : 100 yen