Hikes in Japan: The Ten-en Trail

Basic Information

• Name: Ten-en Trail
• Location: Kamakura, Japan
• Distance: 3.25 miles (5.2 km)
• Max Elevation: 479 feet (146 m)
• Elevation Gain: 916 feet (279 m)
• Time: 1.5-2.5 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate
• More Information: 30 Day Hikes Near Tokyo

Google Earth Map of the Trail

Directions

Since Kamakura is a popular tourist destination it easily accessed from Tokyo via rail, bus, or car.  I drove down to Kamakura via Yokohama in what turned out to be an easy early morning drive.  However, driving back home later in the day proved to be more challenging with much heavier traffic.

Parking

The best place to park for this hike is at the Times Parking Lot just outside of the Kamakuragu Shrine.  It cost me less then 1,000 yen to pay for the parking when I returned from my hike.  There is also a large bus stop in front of Kamakuragu Shrine for those looking to access it via bus from the train station.

Narrative

Kamakura (鎌倉) is one of the most historic cities in Japan due to it once being the capitol of Japan during its early feudal samurai era from 1185 to 1333.  During this time Kamakura was the most populous city in Japan which is surprising considering how hilly and forested the area is.  These hills that surround the small coastal plain acted as natural fortifications for the early capitol.  The ridgelines today are home to a network of trails that explore the area’s natural beauty and historic sites.  One of the most popular trails is the Ten-en Trail that connects the Kamakugaru Shrine with the Kencho-ji Temple.  From the Kamakugaru Shrine the hike begins by walking up a narrow road through a nice neighborhood:

After about half a kilometer the trailhead for the Ten-en Trail is reached where there is a map board that shows the trail:

Here is a close up look at the map board:

It is important to note that the trail the portion of the trail that goes to Zuisen-ji Temple has been destroyed by a landslide.  That is why a sign is posted warning people to not go in that direction:

However, before heading up the trail I recommend first walking a short distance further up the paved road and visit the small Kakuon-ji Temple:

The temple was first built in 1218 and rebuilt in 1354 after a fire.  At the entrance to the temple area there is not much to see:

The most interesting thing to see at the entrance is this extremely large pagoda which is one of the largest I have seen in Japan:

However, to explore the rest of the temple it costs 500 yen.  From there it is a short walk around a beautiful valley filled with sites from the temple complex.  Unfortunately pictures of this area is not allowed, but the monks did give me a English guide that explained what I was looking at.  The monks at the site were all very friendly with a foreigner like myself.  After spending about 30 minutes at the temple I then walked back to the Ten-en Trailhead.  From the trailhead this hike begins with a short staircase climb:

The path will eventually transition into a normal dirt hiking trail:

Once I reached the ridgeline on the top of the hill I spotted this sign pointing me towards Kencho-ji Temple which was only 1.3 kilometers away;

As I traversed the ridgeline, there was a few rocky sections I had to ascend:

Eventually views of the neighborhoods to the north of the ridgeline began to open up:

I then entered back into the thick forest:

A short while later I came to a look out with many people sitting around enjoying the views:

From the lookout there is a nice view looking down on Kencho-ji Temple:

According to the sign the entrance to the temple was only .3 kilometers away.  However, getting to the main temple complex was actually about a kilometer in distance:

The lookout also had a signboard with a map of Kencho-ji Temple:

From the lookout I took a steep staircase down towards the temples entrance which is a building called Hansobo:

Hansobo is the highest structure above the main temple complex. Here I paid a 500 yen entrance fee and took in the views:

A popular view from Hansobo is of Mt. Fuji rising up in the distance.  On the day I visited the sky was a bit overcast, but I could just make out the snowcapped Mt. Fuji in the distance:

You can read about my prior hike up Mt. Fuji at the below link:

Hikes in Japan: The Gotemba Trail

The lookout fortunately had a picture for people to see what Mt. Fuji looks like on a clear day:

Below the lookout I spotted this nice rock carving which I have no idea how old it is or what it means:

Below Hansobo is a variety of statues which depict Tengus who are Japanese goblins.  These Tengus (天狗) are considered spirit guardians of the mountains in Japan.  They are often depicted with swords and stern faces to represent how they are defenders of the mountains:

Near the statues there was a lone cherry blossom tree that I could see some early buds starting sprout from:

From Hansobo I hiked down the steep stairway towards the main temple complex.  Along the way I could see graves in the small caves along the path:

I also passed a small bamboo forest:

I then walked under this large tori gate to access the main temple complex:

At the entrance of Kencho-ji temple is the Somon Gate.  This is where visitors who did not hike to the temple pay the 500 yen admission to get in.  This gate originally stood at Hanju Sanmai-in Temple in Kyoto before being moved to Kencho-ji:

Just a short distance passed the Somon Gate is the main temple gate called Sanmon.  This gate was built in 1754 by the chief priest of the temple named Bansetsu.  The priest collected donations from people all across the Kanto plain to pay for the gate’s construction.  Legend has it that a Japanese raccoon known as a Tanuki was so happy by the kindness shown by the monks at Kencho-ji that he turned himself into a human and became a monk himself.  This led to the gate’s nickname of “Tanuki Mon Gate”:

Next to the Tanuki Mon Gate is a large temple bell that was cast back in 1255:

At the middle of the complex is the two main worship buildings Butsuden and Hatto:

Butsuden was originally a mausoleum building belonging to the Tokugawa Shogunate at Zojo-ji Temple in Tokyo.  However, it was moved to Kencho-ji in 1647.

The Hatto building is relatively new by Japan standards being constructed in 1814.  It is the largest wooden Buddhist structure in Eastern Japan.  It serves as the location of all public ceremonies at Kencho-ji:

As I walked further into the temple I next came to the Karamon Gate and the main hall of the complex:

The Karamon Gate is another structure moved to Kencho-ji from Zojo-ji temple in Tokyo:

It was obvious that this gate was of Tokugawa origin due to its decorations.  The decorative style looked very similar to Nijo Castle which was the Tokugawa shogunate’s palace in Kyoto:

Something I noticed when looking at the decorations on the main hall was the below three triangle symbol that fans of the Legend of Zelda would recognize as the Triforce.  However, this symbol is actually the crest for the Hojo clan that once ruled this area:

After completing my walk around the main temple complex, I then proceeded to retrace my steps on the Ten-en Trail to get back to where I parked.  This means I had to scale all the stairs I had previously descended to Kencho-ji Temple:

The stairs just seemed to go on and on:

Soon I was walking by the Tengus which meant I was nearing the Hansobo hermitage:

I next walked passed Hansobo again:

Behind Hansobo I then ascended up yet another staircase to access the ridgeline again:

The ascent of the stairs from Kencho-ji Temple is a bit strenuous, but it is nothing compared to the amount of stairs I hiked up a few weeks earlier on the Mt. Oyama Trail:

Hikes in Japan: The Mt. Oyama Trail (大山)

Once I was back on the ridgeline I had a good view looking down on Kencho-ji Temple:

Out in the distance I could see Mt. Fuji:

Here is a closer look at Mt. Fuji which was obscured with clouds, but still visible:

I next retraced my steps along the ridgeline back to the trailhead:

I soon found myself back at the trailhead that I started from.  I then walked the .5 kilometer back to the parking lot.  However, instead of going home I decided to visit the adjacent Kamakuragu Shrine:

It was a small shrine with not much to see, but it was actually fairly busy do to it being next to a major bus stop:

At the shrine there was a small well where people could buy little dragon prayers to hang.  After only spending about 15 minutes at the shrine I returned to the parking lot to begin my drive home after a nice morning of hiking in Kamakura.

Conclusion

The Ten-en Trail to Kencho-ji Temple is a moderately challenging hike through lush woods and immerses visitors into Japan’s religious culture.  This hike is approximately 3.25 miles long and can be done in 2-3 hours by most people.  Parents with older kids shouldn’t have any issues on this trail, but if you have young children they may find climbing the stairs from Kencho-ji Temple very challenging.  However, for anyone that likes adding some hiking into their visit of Kamakura, this a great route to check out.