10 temples for zazen and shakyo in Tokyo and Kamakura
- Shakyo costs ¥1,000 to ¥2,000, while zazen is mostly free or up to ¥1,000.
- Zazen without reservations: Kencho-ji (Friday and Saturday 15:30), Engaku-ji (every morning 6:00, Saturday 14:30), and Hokoku-ji (Sunday 7:30).
- The Sunday zazen session at Zenshoan is by reservation for 10 beginners.
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This page compares 10 temples in Tokyo, Kamakura and Kawasaki where you can try zazen (seated Zen meditation) or shakyo (copying a sutra by brush). At Engaku-ji, the dawn zazen session starts at 6 a.m. every morning and you pay what you wish (shino). Kencho-ji’s zazen session is free, apart from the temple admission fee. Many temples take first-timers without a reservation. Exceptions: the Sunday zazen session at Zenshoan is by reservation for 10 beginners, and the beginners’ slots at Seishoji are full through December.
In short
- Zazen with no reservation: Kencho-ji (Fri and Sat at 3:30 p.m.), Engaku-ji (every morning at 6 a.m., Sat at 2:30 p.m.), Hokoku-ji (Sun at 7:30 a.m.).
- Zazen inside Tokyo: Zenshoan (Sun at 6 p.m., Yanaka), Seishoji (3rd Thu at 7 p.m., Atago).
- Shakyo on the day you feel like it: Kencho-ji (daily), Hase-dera (daily, accepted 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), Fukagawa Fudodo (accepted 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
- For a lower cost: Kencho-ji’s zazen session, or Kawasaki Daishi’s shakyo session (¥1,000).
Checked with official pages on November 1, 2026 (Japan time).
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1. Fees and booking at the 10 temples for zazen and shakyo
Shakyo costs ¥1,000 to ¥2,000, and zazen is mostly free or up to ¥1,000. Click a temple name to jump to its section.
| Temple | Experience | Fee | Booking | Nearest station, walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kencho-ji | Zazen, shakyo | Zazen free; shakyo ¥1,000 | Not needed | Kita-Kamakura, about 15 min |
| Engaku-ji | Zazen, shakyo | Shino to ¥1,500 | Not needed | Kita-Kamakura, 1 min |
| Hokoku-ji | Zazen | – | Not needed | By bus to Jomyoji |
| Hase-dera | Shakyo, shabutsu (Buddha drawing) | ¥1,200 | Not needed | Hase, 5 min |
| Kawasaki Daishi | Shakyo | ¥1,000 | Not needed | Kawasaki-Daishi, 8 min |
| Zenshoan | Zazen, shakyo | Zazen ¥1,000; shakyo ¥2,000 | Needed (first visit) | – |
| Seishoji | Zazen, shakyo | Shakyo ¥2,000 | Needed for zazen | Onarimon, 5 min |
| Fukagawa Fudodo | Shakyo | ¥2,000 | – | Monzen-Nakacho, 2 min |
| Zojoji | Shakyo | ¥2,000 | – | – |
| Takahata Fudoson | Shakyo | – | – | Takahata-Fudo, 5 min |
A dash (“-“) means the official pages do not state the item. Calling the temple before you go is a good idea. Kencho-ji, Engaku-ji and Hase-dera charge a separate admission fee.
2. Good to know before choosing zazen or shakyo in Tokyo and Kamakura
- At most temples you cannot join zazen if you are late. Kencho-ji asks you to be at the hall 15 minutes before the start, and Hokoku-ji closes its main gate at 7:30 a.m.
- Some temples close around the year-end and New Year. Engaku-ji’s dawn zazen session is closed from December 29 to January 10, and on the 1st and 15th of every month. Hokoku-ji’s gate is closed from December 29 to January 3.
- Kencho-ji, Engaku-ji and Hase-dera charge a separate admission fee: Kencho-ji is ¥500 for adults and ¥200 for elementary and junior high school students, and Hase-dera is ¥400 for adults and ¥200 for elementary school students.
- For shakyo, Kencho-ji, Engaku-ji, Hase-dera, Fukagawa Fudodo, Kawasaki Daishi and Seishoji provide the tools. At Zojoji only, you bring a brush pen or small brush (small brushes are sold at the reception).
- For clothing, Kencho-ji says there is no particular rule (loose clothing), and Hokoku-ji says loose clothing that is easy to move in.
3. Temples in Kamakura
Kencho-ji
Kencho-ji’s zazen session is held every Friday and Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. with no application, and the only cost is the admission fee. The shakyo session is held daily, with entry until 3 p.m. (there are days when it is suspended), and the donation is ¥1,000 per scroll. Copying the Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyo) takes about 60 minutes, and the shorter Enmei Juku Kannon-gyo about 20 minutes. A “zazen guide” is available at the venue for a ¥100 donation. Events can cause cancellations or changes of venue, so check the notices on Kencho-ji’s zazen page (Japanese). It is about 15 minutes on foot from Kita-Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line, or about 5 minutes by bus.
| Name | Kencho-ji |
|---|---|
| Address | 8 Yamanouchi, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa |
| Hours / Closed | Visiting 8:30–16:30 |
| Phone | 0467-22-0981 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Engaku-ji
Engaku-ji’s dawn zazen session starts at 6 a.m. every morning, and you can make it by taking a train that arrives at Kita-Kamakura Station at 5:47 a.m. No reservation is needed, beginners can join, and the fee is shino (a donation of your choice). First-timers gather beside the Buddha Hall 10 minutes before the start. Group participation is not accepted.
In the afternoon, there is a zazen session at the Kojirin hall on every Saturday and on the 1st and 3rd Sundays, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. The fee is ¥1,000, and admission is separate. Shakyo sessions are held in time slots such as 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. for ¥1,500, and tools can be borrowed. Check dates on Engaku-ji’s schedule of dharma talks, zazen and shakyo (Japanese). It is a 1-minute walk from Kita-Kamakura Station.
| Name | Engaku-ji |
|---|---|
| Address | 409 Yamanouchi, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa |
| Phone | 0467-22-0478 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Hokoku-ji
Hokoku-ji’s Sunday zazen session runs every Sunday from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m., and reception starts at 7:00 a.m. No reservation is needed. The main gate closes at 7:30 a.m., so you cannot enter midway, and in principle you cannot leave midway either. The temple describes it as a “strict zazen session.” Take the Keikyu Bus from stop 4 at the east exit of Kamakura Station (about 12 minutes), get off at Jomyoji, and walk 3 minutes.
| Name | Hokoku-ji |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-7-4 Jomyoji, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa |
| Phone | 0467-22-0762 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Hase-dera
At Hase-dera you can do shakyo or shabutsu (drawing a Buddha image) in the study hall, accepted from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The paper for the Heart Sutra, the Enmei Juku Kannon-gyo and the Buddha drawing is ¥1,200 each, and the tools are provided. A careful Buddha drawing can take over 3 hours. Groups of 10 or more must book in advance, and booking is not available on weekends, national holidays and the 18th of each month. If you are staying overnight, you can also compare lodgings in Kamakura and Enoshima (Japanese).
| Name | Hase-dera |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa |
| Phone | 0467-22-6300 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
4. Temples in Kawasaki
Kawasaki Daishi
Kawasaki Daishi holds shakyo sessions a few times a year, and the remaining 2026 date is Saturday, November 14. It is held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Shinto Kaikan hall, reception opens 30 minutes before, and no reservation is needed. The fee is ¥1,000, and the temple provides the tools.
| Name | Kawasaki Daishi |
|---|---|
| Address | 4-48 Daishi-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa |
| Phone | 044-266-3420 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
5. Temples in Tokyo
Zenshoan
Zenshoan’s Sunday zazen session runs from 6 to 8 p.m., and first-timers need a reservation (up to 10 people). The first visit costs ¥1,000 and starts with an explanation at 5:30 p.m.; from the second time the fee is ¥500 and no reservation is needed. The shakyo class is held on one Saturday a month from 3 p.m. by reservation (next: November 21 and December 26), with a capacity of 30 and a fee of ¥2,000. Beginners complete registration by 2:30 p.m. The temple in Yanaka is associated with Yamaoka Tesshu, and closures are posted on Zenshoan’s zazen page (Japanese).
| Name | Zenshoan |
|---|---|
| Address | 5-4-7 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo |
| Phone | 03-3821-4715 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Seishoji
Seishoji’s monthly zazen meeting is held on the 3rd Thursday at 7 p.m., with beginner instruction from 6:30 p.m. for the first 15 people. For 2026, the beginners’ slots are full through December, and the session on January 21, 2027 is open for applications. You apply by email, and you cannot join if you arrive late. The shakyo meeting is held on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 1 to 4 p.m. The offering is ¥2,000, and no application is needed. Seating is on chairs, and paper and brushes are provided.
| Name | Seishoji |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-4-7 Atago, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Phone | 03-3431-3575 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Fukagawa Fudodo
For shakyo at Fukagawa Fudodo, you register at the amulet counter between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and write in the shakyo hall on the 2nd floor of the Naibutsuden hall. The fee is ¥2,000, or ¥1,000 for high school students and younger. You can choose the Heart Sutra or the Bussetsu Sho-Fudo-kyo, and the temple provides all the tools. It is a 2-minute walk from exit 1 of Monzen-Nakacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line.
| Name | Fukagawa Fudodo |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-17-13 Tomioka, Koto-ku, Tokyo |
| Hours / Closed | Doors open 8:00–18:00 |
| Phone | 03-3641-8288 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Zojoji
Zojoji’s shakyo session is held on the 14th of every month (except July and August), with a dharma talk at 1:20 p.m. and shakyo at 2:00 p.m. The offering is ¥2,000, and anyone can join. The sutra you write is dedicated at the shakyo tower in the grounds.
| Name | Zojoji |
|---|---|
| Address | 4-7-35 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
| Phone | 03-3432-1431 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Takahata Fudoson
Takahata Fudoson’s monthly shakyo meeting is held on the 21st of each month at 1:30 p.m., and in November that is Saturday the 21st. It is a 5-minute walk from Takahata-Fudo Station on the Keio Line and Tama Monorail, and the temple also publishes a guide to copying a sutra at home.
Official information checked on November 1, 2026 (Japan time). Fees and hours may change.
| Name | Takahata Fudoson |
|---|---|
| Address | 733 Takahata, Hino-shi, Tokyo |
| Phone | 042-591-0032 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Sources
19 pages we checked
- Kencho-ji: Zazen
- Kencho-ji: Shakyo
- Kencho-ji: Admission guide
- Engaku-ji: Dharma talks, zazen and shakyo
- Engaku-ji: Admission guide and access
- Hokoku-ji: About the zazen session
- Hase-dera: Shakyo and shabutsu
- Kawasaki Daishi: Shakyo session
- Zenshoan: Sunday zazen session
- Zenshoan: Shakyo class
- Seishoji: Zazen
- Seishoji: Gojikai services (shakyo meeting)
- Fukagawa Fudodo: Shakyo
- Zojoji: Shakyo session
- Takahata Fudoson Kongoji: Top page (annual schedule)
- Hase-dera: Admission guide
- Kawasaki Daishi: Access
- Seishoji: Access
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on November 1, 2026 (Japan time).
