Because of the thick growth of pine trees on the mountain behind the temple, Myohoji Temple was originally called Matsubagayatsu. St. Nichiren (1222-1282), the founder of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism, about whom I wrote more recently in Enoshima where Ryuukou ji Temple is connected with him, built a small hermitage here and preached the Lotus Sutra here. He resided here for appr. 20 years, also travelling around the country and preaching his teachings to the people.
His teachings and his residence were passed on to his disciple Nichiro, from Nichiro to Nichiin, from Nichiin to Nichijo. Then Nichiei was installed as the fifth chief priest. Nichiei was the son of a crown prince of the Imperial family – Morinaga Shinnó, and a grandson of Godaigo, the 96th emperor. For this reason, for a blood relative of the emperor being chief priest, Myohoji Temple is warmly respected.
And the sublime scenery! The temple is located at the foot of quite a steep mountain. Mountains are beautifully surrounding the eastern, northern and western side of Kamakura, while the sea is on the south. The Main Hall is at the foot of the mountain, but for the rest of the temple grounds you have to climb steps. These steps, however, represent an integral part of this temple and made me to like the temple even more. At the top of the wood there are the graves and beautiful views of Kamakura city and the sea from the mountain ridge.
Though the entrance gate is closed, the temple grounds are open as there is another entrance next door The Main Hall is made of zenkova tree wood. It was donated by Hosokawa, the daimyo of Kyushu. It is always closed to the public. In front of the Main Hall in the middle an incense burner can be seen The lady selling tickets at the entrance gate gave me this smoldering stick of O´Zenkova, as she politely called it, and I readily carried the O´Zenkova stick to the incense burner in front of the Main Hall Just several steps up – and here´s the Nió mon – with two Nió warriors. In my article SUGIMOTO-DERA I write about them in more detailBeautiful moss steps appear in sight once you are behind the Nio Mon Gate There is this cave next to the first flight of steps I constantly have to think of these mossy steps, wider than we have seen in Sugimoto-dera before. These here are lined now with small white and light lilac fringed iris, as these flowers have season now – and this is why now the steps are at their most beautiful 🙂 Walking on a staircase next to the most beautiful moss steps, you reach this beautiful building – Hokkedo, which is midway up the rear mountain. It was donated to the temple by Mito, daimyo of Ibaragi Prefecture, who was relative to the Shogun More steps are waiting behind the Hokkedó, these are a bit less mossy but lined with irises, too, and I am climbing them Behind the upper steps there is this monument, exactly on the spot where allegedly originally St. Nichiren´s hut used to stand. The path is splits here and both directions you can walk in the wood on the mountain ridge From the ridge of the mountain there is this beautiful view of Kamakura between the mountains and the sea There are these graves at the end of the left path At the end of the right path, at the top of the mountain there is the grave of Prince Morinaga Shinnó, who was the father of this temple´s fifth chief priest and the son of Emperor Godaigo From this spot, the view of Kamakura bay and the sea is beautiful, too. And when her majesty, Mt. Fuji, feels like showing herself, she can be seen from here, too
