In 1185, Minamoto no Yoritomo established the political system that would later be known as the Kamakura Shogunate, and Kamakura became the capital of the samurai government. In Kamakura, shrines and temples were established that were treated as the guardian deities and guardian Buddhas of the samurai government, and they attracted the worship of the samurai who lived in Kamakura.

The Kamakura Shogunate fell in 1333, and Kamakura's function as a political city was lost after about 150 years. However, for later samurai governments and eastern samurai, it remained a place where the guardian deities and guardian Buddhas of the samurai were enshrined. Samurai actively visited Kamakura's shrines and temples, and also repaired and donated to them. Kamakura remained a place of worship for the samurai until modern times, when the samurai class was abolished.

In Kamakura, the center of the samurai government, the shogunate built many temples that also housed academic training halls. These temples were extremely important as places of learning for the samurai who were to assume political power for the first time in history. In addition, temples were proactive in carrying out cultural activities, such as setting up archives to store Japanese and Chinese books. In this way, the Kamakura shogunate prepared the groundwork for the development of samurai culture.

The period when Kamakura was the center of Japan was also a time when exchanges with China were revived. A new, international culture, different from the past, flourished in Kamakura. Zen Buddhism is a symbolic presence of this. Zen Buddhism is a sect of Buddhism that is characterized by its focus on self-reflection through practices such as zazen rather than strict training. The teachings of Zen have many similarities with the mentality of the samurai, and were embraced by many samurai.

Zen Buddhism also gained popularity in Kamakura, and many Zen temples were built, as well as many buildings (Zenshu-style) and gardens (karesansui) that are deeply connected to Zen Buddhism.

The culture, learning, and thoughts that were cultivated in Kamakura were passed down to future generations. In modern times, these teachings were systematized by Nitobe Inazo as "Bushido," and became recognized around the world.

Kamakura's shrines and temples are also the source of ideas that are still seen in Japanese people today.

The above information can be summarized in the following figure:

Kamakura's shrines and temples, which are deeply connected to the beliefs, culture, and thought of the samurai, are truly a cultural asset that can be proud of around the world!

There are twenty in total.