Tokyo is an enormous city with a lot of offer. However, the crowds, the towering skyscrapers, the constant, subtle din, and all the other bastions of city life can wear on visitors and natives alike. For those looking to a brief reprieve, quick daytrips are budget-friendly, time-friendly, and easy on those daunted by navigating themselves around Japan.
Japan’s Ancient Capital of Kamakura
Kamakura, once one of the largest cities in the world, is now a small town along Sagami Bay. It packs a lot of history in a small, easy to walk area located not far from Tokyo. The city boasts a plethora of temples, as well as the Daibatsu (Great Buddha), a large monument to Amida Buddha. Though the city itself is ancient, many of the temples housed within its grounds are actually replicas. A great fire in 1923 destroyed most of the temples. The city’s contribution to history is great, replicas or not. As the center of the shogun during the aptly named Kamakura period, Kamakura was once the de facto capital of Japan. As such, many historical treasures remain to present day. History buffs and those that appreciate the craftsmanship of Japanese culture alike will appreciate all the sites Kamakura has to offer.
Highlights
- Hase dera (houses a 30 foot wooden statue of Kannon that washed up an Nagai beach and was enshrined at Hase dera)
- Koutoku-in (temple that contains the Daibatsu on its grounds)
- Kamakura Museum of National Treasures (contains 4800 art objects from the Kamakura and Muromachi periods)
- Kenchou-ji (the oldest and highest ranked of Kamakura’s Five Great Zen Temples), Engaku-ji (2nd ranked), Jufuku-ji (3rd ranked), Jouchi-ji (4th ranked), and Joumyou-ji (ranked 5th)
- See Wikipedia for a complete list and maps of the area. Another popular tourist reason is to visit Enoshima beach.
How to Get There
- From Shinjuku: If traveling from Shinjuku, a visitor can pay ¥890 and take the JR Shonen Shinjuku Line from Shinjuku station to Ofuna or Yokohoma, switching to the JR Yokosuka Line and arriving at Kamakura.
- From Shinagawa: There are multiple ways to get to Kamakura. The most direct route is to get onto the JR Yokosuka Line at Shinagawa station and get off at Kamakura. The charge is ¥620.
- Enoshima-Kamakura Free Pass: A lot of lines offer travel passes, and there is one available for Kamakura. This is a useful pass if a visitor plans to stop at Enoshima and visit the beach. The free pass includes one round trip between Shinjuku and Fujisawa stations via the Odakyu line and unlimited travel on the Enoden train, which travels from Fujisawa to Kamakura via Enoshima. The price for this pass is ¥1,430 yen for adults. To learn more about the free pass, visit Odyaku’s Enoshima-Kamakura Free Pass Site.
When to Go
- February 3: A good place to spend Setsubun Matsuri.
- 2nd to 3rd Sunday in April: This is the tome of Kamakura Matsuri, which is a week-long celebration of the city and its history. This is also a projected time for hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season, and Kamakura is a beautiful place to see the cherry blossoms.
- April 8: This date falls during the Kamakura Matsuri but it is also Buddha’s Birthday Festival, where religious services are held to honor Buddha.
- September 14th – 16th: Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Reitaisai is a famous festival with many activities. One of the famous attractions is the Yabusame on the 16th (horseback archery).
For rich historical sites and cultural experiences, Kamakura is the quick and easy solution when a traveler has limited time to get away from Tokyo.
Alia Luria - Alia Luria began her career as a web designer and developer in 1997. She worked for a series of internet-based companies and experienced ...
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