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    Kamakura
    Dandy1022 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
    City

    Japan

    Kamakura

    Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first Shogunate at the end of the 12th century, making it the country's political center.

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    9. Kamakura
    Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first Shogunate at the end of the 12th century, making it the country's political center. Today, the coastal city, about an hour south of Tokyo, is known for the Great Buddha, numerous Zen temples in forested valleys, and its beaches.
    Kamakura is a small town nestled between forested hills and Sagami Bay. From the train station, the shopping street Komachi-dōri leads to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū Shrine, the heart of the ancient city. The great Zen temples are located in the Kita-Kamakura valley, one station north. With the Enoden Line, you can reach the Great Buddha in Hase and further on, Enoshima Island. Hiking trails over the hills connect the temples; on weekends and during the hydrangea bloom in June, the town gets very crowded.

    Sights in Kamakura

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    The Great Buddha (Kōtoku-in)
    Place of Worship

    1The Great Buddha (Kōtoku-in)

    The bronze statue of Buddha Amida at **Kōtoku-in** Temple stands over eleven meters tall and was cast in the mid-13th century. Since a tidal wave destroyed the hall around it in the late 15th century, it has sat outdoors – wind and weather have given it its green patina.For a small fee, you can step inside the statue's hollow interior and see its casting seams. From Hase Station on the Enoden Line, it's about a ten-minute walk.
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    Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū
    Place of Worship

    2Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū

    Kamakura's main shrine was moved to its current location by Minamoto no Yoritomo, who made it the spiritual center of his new capital. A long avenue, the Dankazura, leads straight from the sea towards it.The red-lacquered main hall, perched on a rise, dates to the early 19th century. Two lotus ponds lie at the entrance. During the Autumn Festival in September, Yabusame, or horseback archery, is performed on the grounds.
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    Hase-dera
    Place of Worship

    3Hase-dera

    The temple on the slope above the bay houses an approximately nine-meter-tall, gilded wooden figure of the eleven-headed Kannon, one of Japan's largest wooden sculptures. From the terrace in front of the main hall, you gaze over the rooftops to the sea.On the way up, hundreds of small Jizō figures stand, commemorating deceased children. In June, thousands of hydrangeas bloom along the slope path; then there are temporary waits, requiring admission tickets.
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    Engaku-ji
    Place of Worship

    4Engaku-ji

    The Zen monastery was founded in 1282 by Regent Hōjō Tokimune and is one of Kamakura's five great Zen temples. Its halls spread across a wooded valley directly opposite Kita-Kamakura Station.Treasures include the Shariden Relic Hall and the great temple bell, both designated National Treasures. Engaku-ji remains an active monastery to this day, where visitors can also participate in meditation sessions.
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    Restaurants in Kamakura

    Food & Drink in Kamakura

    Shirasu-don

    Tiny whitebait, raw or lightly cooked on rice, is the signature dish of the coast between Kamakura and Enoshima. Raw, it's only available outside the closed season in winter and early spring.

    Kenchin-jiru

    A vegetable soup with tofu and root vegetables, whose name, according to tradition, dates back to Kenchō-ji Temple. It is served in temple restaurants as part of vegetarian menus.

    Hato Sabure

    Butter cookies shaped like doves, for over a hundred years the city's most famous souvenir.

    Kamakura Vegetables

    At the farmer's market near the train station, local farmers sell their vegetables, which many city restaurants use.

    City of Samurai and of Zen

    The First ShogunateAt the end of the 12th century, Minamoto no Yoritomo made Kamakura the seat of Japan's first warrior government. For around 150 years, the country was governed from here; the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū shrine served as the Shogunate's religious center.Zen MonasteriesThe samurai promoted Zen Buddhism. The Kenchō-ji is considered Japan's oldest Zen monastery; together with Engaku-ji and other temples, it forms the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura.The Great BuddhaThe approximately eleven-meter-tall bronze figure at Kōtoku-in dates from the 13th century. The hall that originally surrounded it was destroyed by a tidal wave at the end of the 15th century; since then, the Buddha has sat in the open air.

    Travel and exploring

    Getting ThereJR: The Yokosuka Line runs from Tokyo to Kamakura in about an hour, stopping at Kita-Kamakura.Odakyū: From Shinjuku to Fujisawa, then transfer to the Enoden Line; a combi-ticket covers travel and the Enoden.Getting AroundThe small Enoden Line connects Kamakura with Hase, the coast, and Enoshima.Most destinations are accessible on foot or by rental bike; streets are narrow and congested on weekends.Signposted hiking trails lead over the hills, for example from Kita-Kamakura to the Great Buddha.

    Accommodations in Kamakura

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