Kamakura

Kamakura was a centre of political and spiritual power during what is called the Kamakura Era, technically 1185 until 1333 AD. Although the true capital of the country was still located in Kyoto, many of the shoguns, the military leaders, moved their main residences to Kamakura and invested strongly in the constuction of temples. Almost all of Kamakura`s temples have founding dates within the years of the Kamakura Era.

Now a popular tourist destination, the streets of the town are filled with Japanese and international tourists. Dispite tourists, many of the temples remain active learning centers of Buddhism, including several of which are primary schools of their sects

Although they are listed as individual buildings, temples including Kenchoji and Tsurugaoka Hachimmangu are better described as complexes, with a number of buildings of different functions filling a compound.