Enoden Stations : EN11 – Gokurakuji

The Enoden links Fujisawa & Kamakura via a coastal route that gives both those cities access to the little island of Enoshima – hence the name. It’s a charming, old-fashioned trainline, with some really interesting sights to be seen along the way.

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Local Sights

Gokuraku temple itself is right next door to the station – hence the name.

One of the seven traditional entrances to Kamakura is just down the road from the station – Gokuraku-zaka.

There’s a local jizo bosatsu – the Michibiki jizo – in a building right next to the bridge over to Gokuraku temple; there’s also the Tsukikage jizo on her lonesome up the road about ten minutes past the local elementary school:

Apart from Gokuraku, there’s also Joju temple, which was apparently set up after Kobo Daishi visited way back when – but if Buddhist history is not your thing, the views from just outside the entrance here are fantastic.

All About EN11 Gokurakuji Station

Gokuraku temple dates back to the middle of the 13th century, and is the only temple in Kamakura that is part of the Shingon sect. It’s a very quiet little place with lovely grounds but there’s not a whole lot distinctive about it to the casual observer, such as myself.

Back across the bridge and down the hill, you can find a monument to a bloody battle – Nitta Yoshisada made his way here after puttering around Inamuragasaki & Shichirigahama, and had quite the scrap at this site; it was one of the seven ancient entrances to Kamakura at that point.

Further down this hill you can find Joju-in cemetery, the site of another vicious battle . This one, however, was between a pair of fictional mutants, Nana & Lucy, in the ultraviolent anime, Elfen Lied.

(Should you wish to see this battle, it’s here – but I must warn you, that, in addition to the sight of limbs being severed, this video also features an English dub. gasp. )

Joju-in, the temple to which this cemetery belongs, is back up the hill on the opposite side to the monument to Nitta, and, irreligious heathen that I am, my favourite thing about this temple is the view from outside it:

This shot is in plenty of films too. If I recall, it makes it into Our Little Sister, which takes place mostly around Gokurakuji. I can wholeheartedly recommend this flick (trailer here) and will also guarantee that it features zero amputations & no weird psychic psychotic mutants.

Although I understand that that may put some people off.