To him the Way, the Law, apart,
Whom Maya held beneath her heart,
Ananda's Lord, the Bodhisat,
The Buddha of Kamakura.
ॐ

Kamakura, despite it's 'clan' status, is actually a religious sect that predates the foundings of the shinobi villages. What started as an offshoot Buddhist sect that had formed around the Goddess who granted peace and chakra to the land claiming she was the newest and greatest to attain enligtenment, the Kamakura opened its first temple in the Land of Iron. It quickly grew in membership and popularity, allowing more temples to open up throughout the contintent.

As time went on, the links to Ōtsutsuki were forgotten or regelated to myth, but the links between the religion and chakra remained; many monks and nuns who reside within the temples have at least basic training in its usage, even if few go out to become full fledged shinobi or samurai.

As a religion, Kamakura is fairly widespread although the amount of devout members probably only numbers in the one to two thousand. Most people only visit the shrines at funerals and holidays such as the Spring and Autumn Equinox (Higan-e), Obon, and New Year's.

The "clan" symbol is the Triratna, signifiying the Sanbō / Three Treasures. Many Kamakura have it stithced into clothing or on jewlery as a way to show their membership.

If you meet Buddha on the road, kill him: It's common for Kamakura from different sects to ask their brethren if they have met Buddha recently and if so, how did they react. To the Kamakura, life is a journey to learn more and getting complacent leads to falling off the path towards enlightenment. Whether civilian, clergy, or military, to be a Kamakura is to strive to know their true selves. How they do so varies from member to member.

On Ōtsutsuki's Teachings: the vast majority of Kamakura subscribe to the non-violent doctrines that the Ōtsutsuki once favored. Obviously, for members of the clan who are shinobi or samurai, death is probably something they, even those who are medics, have encounter often. For those, Kamakura teachings states that attacking out of violence or anger is frowned upon and that any deaths should be kind and suffering eased even for enemies.

無一物 (hold nothing): the highest state of being, according to Kamakura doctrine, is that by nature, because all humans are “empty” there is nothing humans should fixate on, so people are free from everything. How this doctrine is understood varies from member to member. Some see it as a calling, that they should eschew earthly desires to be the best they can. Others decide that means humans, as a whole, are free to choose their own actions, that no consequences from the past life can limit them.

六道輪廻 (rebirth in the six worlds): The Kamakura believes that life is transient but souls last forever and that, upon the death of their body, they transmigrate between the world of men and five others. As life is fleeting and in flux, the worse thing a Kamakura can do is stagnate and stay in one place. Funeral rites for Kamakura vary from sect to sect but standard burials is seen as against their culture. It is because of their belief in the afterlife and post-humorous worlds that the Kamakura religion as a whole views certain techniques, such as Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation and Dead Demon Consuming Seals, as heinous crimes against the soul, seeing as they disrupt the transmigration of souls. Some sects of the Kamakura believe the same of Jinchūriki, while others see them as honorary kinsmen who are forced onto the path of enlightenment by circumstances.

Today, the Kamakura continues to preach for peace and unity, believing that it is possible for individuals can reach enlightenment through collaboration. To that ends, the head temple of the Kamakura in the Land of Iron helps put on events to help continue peace, including conventions and holding summits between enemy nations.

On the inverse, there are schisms within the Kamakura - not all sects are happy with the current status quo. Some parts of the Kamakura still remembers their original goddess's fate and believe that, as some of her original followers, the world should be burn for their sacrilege.

Unlike traditional clans, the Kamakura is a loosely related family, made of those born of the original Kamakura Temples and those who join the religion.

Some retain their family name, some take it upon themselves, while others are given it freely. While there are plenty of Kamakura-affiliated shinobi or samurai in the ranks of many, if not all, of the hidden villages, the vast majority of members are civilians or temple members. Most members adhere to the doctrines and tenant of the Kamakura, aiming to live fulfilling lives on their way to enlightenment.

Generally smaller and satellite temples have 1 to 6 members on staff, assisting dozens to hundreds of practicioners while the larger regional temples have upward to 100. Honzan, in Iron Country, has the largest staff at 200 members, plus the Hōin, the 5 Hōgen, any other representatives who visit, and their staff. There are a little under 600 active monks and nuns who service around 16,000 partioniers of various belief levels. Of this amount, less than 3% are active shinobi.

Kamakura members come from and join all walks of life – not just monks, ninja and samurai, but teachers, medics, grocers and everything in between. It doesn't take much to join the Kamakura, just come by any temple, say you want to join, and take classes to do so. There are tests that need to be passed but most people can get the needed education and pass the exams in under five years.

Any adult who wants to join the Kamakura has to be processed through the main temple, which can, on occasion, cause quite a bit of backlog. (But also, adults who convert to the religion and join the clan, in the same classes as 4 year olds learning about the world from Kamakuras is high key hilarious). If a request to join is made prior to that age, the final paperwork can be processed at the local temple.

Though rare, there are some excommunicated members of the Kamakura clan. It takes a heinous crime to be stripped of your name and affiliation, but it has happened. There are far more members who renounce the Kamakura clan, leaving it although the church will remain an option for them if they ever come back (unless they are also excommunicated). Even more numerous are Kamakura who are members but do very little with the clan.

The Main Temple is located within Iron Country and is a sprawling monastery whose grounds is effectively a small city. The head of the temple is known as the Hōin, who is elected from the elders within the Iron Temple every 9 years (or sooner, if something happens with the Hōin during his term). The Hōin is more a spiritual head of the family, providing guidance when asked, as well as detailing requirements for joining the clan (or excommunication).

Beneath it are the 5 major temples located in the countries of Earth, Lightning, Water, Wind, and Fire. Each temple elects a high priest, known as as Hōgen, as a representative for their temple with the Iron Temple. While technically elections are supposed to occur every 2 years, the process of getting visas for inter-nation travel is a diplomatic headache so most temples rarely recall their representatives (Fire has dutifully sent a new representative every 2 years, barring during Third Shinobi World War). Their job is to represent those of the Kamakura who live within their countries, as well as serve as counsel to the Hōin.

Many other satellite temples affiliated with the Kamakura exist throughout the continent, many who have a representative who stays in the Iron Temple or travels between there and their home temple.

The temples employ local shinobi as couriers between the various temples across the continent, as well as the occasional guards when monks and nuns go on a pilgrimage or have to visit another temple. Most temples are fairly self-sustaining, often times through farming or selling various goods from artwork to household items to even weapons (the swordsmiths of the temples in Mist and Fire have a fierce rivalry that is always on display during SwordCon).

Depending on the size of the temple, it can be one building and a small lot or dozens of them on sprawling grounds. Regardless, all Kamakura temples are marked by a gate (often two stories, sometimes with wooden guardians).

Kamakura is a major religion on the shinobi contintent although the vas majority of members are civilian, many of whom are not devout, but participate during important events. Funerals and new years tend to be the busiest times for all temples.

No idea what else to put here lmao