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Kanagawa · City

Kamakura

鎌倉市かまくらしKamakura-shi

The samurai capital between green hills and Sagami Bay

Kamakura is a seaside city in Kanagawa, about an hour south of Tokyo, that was the seat of Japan's first warrior government from 1192 to 1333. Enclosed by wooded hills and Sagami Bay, it is known for the bronze Great Buddha, the shrine of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and the great Zen temples of Kencho-ji and Engaku-ji.

Overview

Kamakura lies in a small plain open to the sea on the south and ringed on its other three sides by steep, wooded hills. That natural fortress persuaded Minamoto no Yoritomo to make it his headquarters in 1180; from 1192 it was the seat of the Kamakura shogunate, which governed Japan until 1333. Narrow passes cut through the rock, the kiridoshi, were the only land approaches.

The warrior government sponsored Zen Buddhism, newly arrived from Song China, and founded the great temples of Kencho-ji and Engaku-ji, ranked among the Five Mountains (Gozan) of Kamakura. The shrine of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, dedicated to the Minamoto clan's guardian deity, stands at the head of the city's ceremonial avenue, Wakamiya Oji. The bronze Great Buddha of Kotoku-in, cast in the mid-thirteenth century, has sat in the open air since its hall was washed away at the end of the fifteenth century.

Modern Kamakura is a residential town and a favourite day trip from Tokyo. Its temples are known for their seasonal flowers – plum, cherry, hydrangea and autumn leaves – and hiking trails link them along the hill ridges. The beaches of Yuigahama and Zaimokuza and the nostalgic Enoden railway to Enoshima connect the city with the Shonan coast.

Landmarks

  • Great Buddha of Kamakura

    鎌倉大仏（高徳院）Kamakura Daibutsu (Kōtoku-in)

    Bronze seated Amida Buddha about 11 m high, a National Treasure; visitors can enter the hollow interior.

  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

    鶴岡八幡宮Tsurugaoka Hachimangū

    The city's central shrine at the head of Wakamiya Oji, with a hilltop main hall and lotus ponds symbolising the Genji and Heike.

  • Kencho-ji

    建長寺Kenchō-ji

    First-ranked of Kamakura's Five Mountains, with a massive gate, a Zen garden and a trail up to the Hansobo shrine.

  • Engaku-ji

    円覚寺Engaku-ji

    Zen monastery in Kita-Kamakura whose Shariden relic hall is a National Treasure and a model of Song-style Zen architecture.

  • Hase-dera

    長谷寺Hase-dera

    Temple on a hillside with a tall gilded wooden Eleven-headed Kannon, a cave of Benzaiten and sea views; famous for hydrangeas.

  • Hokoku-ji

    報国寺Hōkoku-ji

    Small Zen temple known for its dense bamboo grove and a teahouse among the stems.

  • Meigetsu-in

    明月院Meigetsu-in

    The 'hydrangea temple' of Kita-Kamakura, with a round window framing its inner garden.

  • Zeniarai Benten

    銭洗弁財天宇賀福神社Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Jinja

    Shrine in a rock hollow where visitors wash money in spring water in the hope that it will multiply.

Districts

  • Komachi-dori and Wakamiya Oji

    小町通りKomachi-dōri

    Busy shopping street and the cherry-lined avenue leading from the station and the sea to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

  • Kita-Kamakura

    北鎌倉Kita-Kamakura

    Valley of great Zen temples – Engaku-ji, Tokei-ji, Meigetsu-in, Kencho-ji – north of the centre.

  • Hase

    長谷Hase

    Western district with the Great Buddha and Hase-dera, on the Enoden line.

  • Yuigahama and Zaimokuza

    由比ヶ浜Yuigahama

    The city's beaches, lively in summer and popular with surfers and windsurfers.

  • Ofuna

    大船Ōfuna

    Northern rail hub with a giant white Kannon bust on the hillside and the Shonan Monorail to Enoshima.

History

Minamoto no Yoriyoshi founded a Hachiman shrine by the sea in 1063; his descendant Yoritomo moved it to its present site in 1180 and laid out the city around it. After Yoritomo's death, the Hojo family ruled as regents, fending off the Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281. In 1333 Nitta Yoshisada stormed Kamakura, and the Hojo perished; the city remained the seat of the Kanto governors under the Ashikaga until the fifteenth century, then declined into a quiet temple town.

The railway arrived in 1889, and Kamakura became a resort and a home for writers and artists, the so-called Kamakura literati. The 1923 earthquake damaged many temples. Kamakura became a city in 1939. In the 1960s a citizens' campaign against housing development on the hills behind Tsurugaoka Hachimangu led to the national Ancient Capitals Preservation Law of 1966.

  1. 1063

    Minamoto no Yoriyoshi founds a Hachiman shrine at Yuigahama.

  2. 1180

    Minamoto no Yoritomo establishes his headquarters in Kamakura and moves the shrine to its present site.

  3. 1192

    Yoritomo is appointed shogun.

  4. 1252

    Casting of the bronze Great Buddha begins.

  5. 1253

    Kencho-ji, Japan's first full-scale Zen training monastery, is founded.

  6. 1282

    Engaku-ji is founded in memory of the dead of the Mongol invasions.

  7. 1333

    Nitta Yoshisada captures Kamakura; the shogunate falls.

  8. 1498

    A tsunami destroys the hall of the Great Buddha, which has stood in the open since.

  9. 1939

    Kamakura receives city status.

  10. 1966

    The Ancient Capitals Preservation Law is passed after a citizens' campaign in Kamakura.

Culture

Kamakura's culture is shaped by Zen: meditation sessions open to the public are held at several temples, and the tea ceremony and ink painting have long roots here. From the Meiji era it attracted writers such as Kawabata Yasunari and Natsume Soseki, and the Kamakura Museum of Literature occupies a former aristocratic villa by the sea. Flower seasons – plums in February, cherries in April, hydrangeas in June and maples in early December – structure the city's calendar.

Festivals

  • Kamakura Festival

    鎌倉まつりKamakura Matsuri

    In April, with a parade on Wakamiya Oji and the Shizuka-no-mai dance at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Grand Festival

    鶴岡八幡宮例大祭Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Reitaisai

    In mid-September, with yabusame, mounted archery in Kamakura-period hunting costume.

  • Bonbori Festival

    ぼんぼり祭Bonbori Matsuri

    In August, hundreds of paper lanterns painted by artists and writers line the approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

  • Kamakura Fireworks

    鎌倉花火大会Kamakura Hanabi Taikai

    Summer fireworks over Sagami Bay, including underwater fireworks, seen from Yuigahama beach.

Food

  • Shirasu-don

    しらす丼shirasu-don

    Rice with fresh or boiled whitebait from Sagami Bay, served near the station and the beaches.

  • Shojin ryori

    精進料理shōjin ryōri

    Zen vegetarian cuisine, including kenchin-jiru, a vegetable soup said to originate at Kencho-ji.

  • Hato sabure

    鳩サブレーHato Saburē

    Dove-shaped butter biscuits, Kamakura's best-known souvenir, inspired by the doves of the Hachiman shrine.

  • Kamakura vegetables

    鎌倉野菜Kamakura yasai

    Produce from local farms, sold at the farmers' market near the station and used by restaurants in the city.

Getting around

  • JR Yokosuka Line trains run from Tokyo Station to Kamakura in about an hour, via Shinagawa and Yokohama; the Shonan-Shinjuku Line comes from Shinjuku and Shibuya.
  • The Enoden (Enoshima Electric Railway) runs along the coast from Kamakura to Hase and Enoshima.
  • The Shonan Monorail, a suspended line, links Ofuna with Enoshima.
  • Hiking trails connect Kita-Kamakura, the Great Buddha and Zeniarai Benten along the wooded ridges; streets near the station are very crowded at weekends and in the hydrangea season.

Day trips

  • Enoshima

    江の島Enoshima

    Island with shrines, caves and views of Mount Fuji, by Enoden.

  • Yokohama

    Port city with Chinatown and Minato Mirai, about 25 minutes by JR.

  • Hakone

    Hot springs and Lake Ashi, via Fujisawa or Ofuna and Odawara.

  • Miura Peninsula

    三浦半島Miura-hantō

    Beaches of Zushi and Hayama, the naval port of Yokosuka and the tuna port of Misaki.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalYokohamaYokohama-shiJapan's first window on the world, on Tokyo BayTownHakoneHakone-machiHot springs and Fuji views in a volcanic calderaDesignated cityKawasakiKawasaki-shiFactory coast, Daishi temple and hillside museums along the Tama

Frequently asked questions

Is Kamakura worth a day trip from Tokyo?

Yes. In a day it is possible to see the Great Buddha, Hase-dera, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and a Zen temple in Kita-Kamakura, and many visitors add Enoshima.

Can you go inside the Great Buddha?

Yes. The hollow interior of the bronze statue can be entered, showing how it was cast in sections.

When do the hydrangeas bloom in Kamakura?

Usually in June, during the rainy season; Meigetsu-in and Hase-dera are the most famous spots and are very crowded at that time.

Is Kamakura a World Heritage Site?

No. Kamakura was nominated in 2013 but the nomination was withdrawn after an unfavourable evaluation; its temples and shrines are protected as national cultural properties.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.鎌倉市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 鎌倉市 (Kamakura City)
  2. 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
  3. 3.文化遺産オンライン (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
  4. 4.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — JNTO

Editorial team · Published: