Kamakura
The seat of the Kamakura shogunate, about an hour from Tokyo Station on the JR Yokosuka Line with no transfer. Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji sit closest to Kita-Kamakura Station, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu to Kamakura Station, and the Great Buddha and Hase-dera to Hase on the Enoden.
Highlights
1. Engaku-jiA Zen temple founded in 1282 under Hojo Tokimune, a minute on foot from JR Kita-Kamakura Station. Its great bell, a National Treasure, is the largest in the Kanto region.
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2. Meigetsu-inKnown as the hydrangea temple, where the blooms go by the name "Meigetsu-in Blue." The rear garden beyond the round window of the main hall opens only in the iris and foliage seasons, for a separate fee.
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3. Kencho-jiFounded in 1253 by Hojo Tokiyori, it ranks first among Kamakura's five great Zen temples. Its outer gate, Sanmon gate, Buddha hall and Dharma hall stand in a near-straight line.
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4. Tsurugaoka HachimanguMinamoto no Yoritomo moved the shrine to this site in 1180, and it has long been revered as Kamakura's guardian. A 10-minute walk from the east exit of Kamakura Station.
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5. Hokoku-jiFounded in 1334, the temple keeps a garden of Moso bamboo. For a fee on top of admission, you can take matcha with the grove in front of you.
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6. Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)Its principal image is the Kamakura Daibutsu, a National Treasure statue of Amida Buddha about 11.3 m tall. The hall that once housed it was wrecked by storms and a great earthquake, and it has sat in the open air ever since.
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7. Hase-deraIts principal image, an Eleven-faced Kannon 9.18 m tall, is among the largest wooden Buddhist statues in Japan. A terrace on the grounds looks out over the town and Yuigahama Beach.
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Things to book
Getting there
| From Tokyo Station | The JR Yokosuka Line runs to Kamakura with no transfer, in about an hour on daytime trains. Kita-Kamakura is the stop just before Kamakura. |
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| From Shinjuku | Some JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line trains run through to Kamakura with no transfer, in about an hour during the day. You can also take the Odakyu Line to Fujisawa and change to the Enoden. Odakyu's Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass discounts the round trip from your starting station to Fujisawa, and gives unlimited rides on the whole Enoden line and on the Odakyu Line between Fujisawa and Katase-Enoshima. |
| From Kamakura Station | Hase, three stops along the Enoden, is the station for Kotoku-in and Hase-dera. The Enoden 1-Day Pass "Noriorikun" gives unlimited rides on the whole line for a day. |
Hotels
Links to booking sites include ads.
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