Tsurugaoka Hachiman-GU before the Meiji era in his name was also "Jingu" and was considered at the same time the temple of the two religions – Shinto and Buddhism. The Meiji government decided to eliminate such confusion of religions for political reasons. As a result of division suffered some of the buildings of the temple complex, but in General, his appearance remained the same as it was built by a Crane on a hill in kamakura in the XII century.

Today, the Shrine is an important Shinto sanctuary on its territory there are two museums – the Museum of national treasures and the Museum of modern art Kamakura. In addition, there are already many centuries competitions in archery on horseback - yabusame. This kind of military training has emerged in the kamakura and in the XII-XIV centuries was mandatory for the samurai of the highest rank.

The temple was dedicated to the God of war and warriors Hachiman, which the representatives of the Minamoto clan considered their patron. At its present location, the Church was built in 1180 by shogun Yoritomo no Minamoto. The history of the Church consists largely of a tragic facts – almost every object of the temple complex symbolize occurred in the distant past the bloodshed. Such is, for example, the symbols of the two ponds Genji and Heike. In one of these three islets (the number "three" is one of the symbols of life) and the other four ("four" in Japan is equivalent to the word "death"). In one pond grow white lotuses, and in the second red. A pond with white Lotus symbolized the Minamoto clan, and a pond with red – Taira clan. Both clans have long been at odds with each other. Red Lotus meant the blood shed by representatives of the Taira clan. These two basins connects the curved bridge Taiko-Bashi, which can go only to the shogun, and for his retinue was intended conventional flat bridge.

Like Shrine in the temple was worshipped Millennium Ginkgo tree, which in 1219 was hiding the COOGEE - shogun assassin Sanetomo Minamoto. March 10, 2010 the tree-giant collapsed from the strong gusts of wind, now this place is growing protect the young shoots.

The stage for the ritual dances Maiden became famous when, as here, danced the beautiful Shizuka – lover of disgraced step-brother of the shogun Arimoto. The woman, whose lover and child were killed by order of the Governor was to dance before the shogun, after which she was released on all four sides. Shizuka became a nun and lived in a hut near the monastery walls and soon died. Behind the scenes Maiden located in the main building of the temple, which consists of a chapel and sanctuary.

And only Sakura alley Wakame the Oji has in its past, such tragic stories. The alley leading to the temple was planted Yoritomo in gratitude to the gods who gave him an heir.