Kamakura: Samurai and Zen

• Documentary

Episode overview

Kamakura, like the two old capital cities of Nara and Kyoto, also served at one stage as the nation's political center. Minamoto no Yoritomo chose Kamakura as the seat of Japan's first shogunate or military government in the 12th Century. It very much retains the flavor and ideological legacy of the warrior class. We go on a tour of the place that laid the spiritual foundations and led to the flowering of Japanese culture, showing why it continues to attract so many visitors. The itinerary includes the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, a spiritual pillar for the warrior class; the Great Buddha, which is Kamakura's most famous landmark; and Kenchoji Temple, an important center of Zen Buddhism.

30 minutes