Great Buddha of Kotokuin by chaojikazu
(鎌倉市, Kamakura-shi?) is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called Renpu (鎌府, Renpu?).
Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is sometimes considered a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the Kamakura Period. According to The Institute for Research on World-Systems Kamakura was the 4th largest city in the world in 1250 A.D., with 200,000 people, and Japan’s largest, eclipsing Kyoto by 1200 A.D.
As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 173,588 and a density of 4,380 persons per km². The total area is 39.60 km². Kamakura was designated as a city on November 3, 1939. Kamakura has a beach which, in combination with the temples and the proximity to Tokyo, makes it a popular tourist destination.
Kamakura is also noted for its senbei, which are crisp rice cakes grilled and sold fresh along the main shopping street. These are very popular with tourists, especially Japanese tourists.
Geography
Surrounded to the north, east and west by mountains and to the south by the open water of Sagami Bay, Kamakura is a natural fortress[2]. Before the construction of several tunnels and modern roads that now connect it to Fujisawa, Ofuna and Zushi, on land it could be entered only through seven artificial passes called Kamakura’s Seven Entrances (鎌倉七口, Kamakura’s Seven Entrances?), a name sometimes translated as “Kamakura’s Seven Mouths”. The natural fortification made Kamakura an easily defensible stronghold. Access was so difficult that the Azuma Kagami reports that Hōjō Masako came back to Kamakura from a visit to Sōtōzan temple in Izu bypassing by boat the impassable Inamuragasaki cape and arriving in Yuigahama[2]. Again according to the Azuma Kagami, the first of the Kamakura shoguns, Minamoto no Yoritomo, chose it as a base partly because it was his ancestors’ land (his yukari no chi), partly because of these physical characteristics.
To the north of the city stands Mt. Genji (源氏山, Mt. Genji?) (92 m), which then passes behind the Daibutsu and reaches Inamuragasaki and the sea.
From the north to the east Kamakura is surrounded by Mt. Rokkokuken (六国見, Mt. Rokkokuken?) (147 m), Mt. Ōhira (大平山, Mt. Ōhira?) (159 m), Mt. Jubu (鷲峰山, Mt. Jubu?) (127 m), Mt. Tendai (天台山, Mt. Tendai?)（141), and Mt. Kinubari (衣張山, Mt. Kinubari?)（120 m), which extend all the way to Iijimagasaki and Wakae Island, on the border with Kotsubo and Zushi[3]. From Kamakura’s alluvional plain branch off numerous narrow valleys like the Urigayatsu, Shakadōgayatsu, Ōgigayatsu, Kamegayatsu, and Matsubagayatsu valleys. (The ending “ヶ谷” meaning “valley”, common in place names and usually read “-gaya”, in Kamakura is pronounced “-gayatsu”).
Kamakura is crossed by the Namerikawa river, which goes from the Asaina Pass in northern Kamakura to the beach in Yuigahama for a total length of 6.5 km. The river marks the border between Zaimokuza and Yuigahama.
In administrative terms, the municipality of Kamakura borders with Yokohama to the north, with Zushi to the east, and with Fujisawa to the west[3]. The city of Kamakura is the result of its fusion with the cities of Koshigoe (腰越, Koshigoe?), absorbed in 1939, and Ofuna, absorbed in 1948, and with the village of Fukasawa, absorbed in 1948.
The old city and its six avenues
Kamakura’s defining feature is, today as in the past, the presence of the great Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū Shinto shrine at its center. An unusual feature of the shrine is its 1.8 km sandō (参道, sandō?) (approach), which runs all the way to the ocean in Yuigahama and is known as Wakamiya Ōji Avenue, the city’s main street. Built by Minamoto no Yoritomo as an imitation of Kyoto’s Suzaku Ōji (朱雀大路, Suzaku Ōji?), Wakamiya Ōji used to be much wider, delimited on both sides by a 3 m deep canal and flanked by pine trees (see the Edo period print).
Walking from the beach toward the shrine one passes through three torii, or Shinto gates, called respectively Ichi no Torii (first gate), Ni no Torii (second gate) and San no Torii (third gate). Between the first and the second lies Geba (下馬, Geba?) which, as the name indicates, was the place where riders had to get off their horses in deference to Hachiman and his shrine.
Some hundred meters further, after the second torii begins the dankazura (段葛, dankazura?), a raised pathway flanked by cherry trees that marks the center of Kamakura. The dankazura becomes gradually wider so that, seen from the shrine, it will look longer than it really is[4]. Its entire length is under the direct administration of the shrine. The danzakura used to go all the way to Geba, but it was drastically shortened during the 19th century to make way for the Yokosuka railroad line, then under construction.
In Kamakura, wide streets are called Ōji (大路, Ōji?)、narrower ones Kōji (小路, Kōji?), the small streets that connect the two are called zushi (辻子, zushi?), and intersections tsuji (辻, tsuji?). On Wakamiya Ōji’s east runs Komachi Ōji Avenue, on its west Ima Ōji Avenue, that like it go from north to south[4]. Yoko Ōji Avenue, the road that passes right under San no Torii, and Ōmachi Ōji Avenue, which goes from Kotsubo to Geba and Hase, run in the east - west direction.
These six streets (three going from north to south and three going from east to west) were built at the time of the shogunate and are all still under heavy use. The only one to have been modified is Kuruma Ōji, a segment of which has disappeared.
Early history
The earliest traces of human settlements go back to at least 10 thousand years ago as obsidian and stone tools found at excavation sites near Jōrakuji Temple (常楽寺, Jōrakuji Temple?) near Ofuna were dated to the Old Stone Age (between 100 thousand and 10 thousand years ago). During the Jomon period the sea level was higher than now and all the flat land in Kamakura up to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū and, further east, up to Yokohama’s Totsuka-ku and Sakae-ku was under water[5]. Thus, the oldest pottery fragments found come from hillside settlements of the period between 7500 BCE and 5000 BCE[5]. In the late Jomon period the sea receded and civilization progressed.
During the Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE) the sea receded further almost to today’s coastline, and the economy shifted radically from hunting and fishing to farming.
Kamakura had been thought to have been a rather small place in its early days, but we know now that by the Nara Period (about 700 CE) there were both temples and shrines, so it can be assumed that it was already a center of a certain size and importance[5]. Sugimoto-dera was built during this period and is therefore one of the city’s oldest temples.
Etymology of the name Kamakura and its first use
There are various hypotheses about the origin of its name. According to the most likely one Kamakura, surrounded as it is on three sides by mountains, was likened both to a cooking stove (a kamado (竃, kamado?)) and to a warehouse (a kura (倉, kura?)), because both only have one side open. It seems therefore likely that it was called at first Kamadokura, and that the syllable do was then gradually dropped.
Another and more picturesque explanation is a legend according to which Fujiwara no Kamatari stopped at Yuigahama on his way to today’s Ibaraki Prefecture where he wanted to pray for peace at the Kashima Jingu Shrine. He dreamed of an old man who promised his support, and the day after he found next to his bed a type of sword called kamayari. Kamatari enshrined it in a place called Okura. Kamayari plus Okura turned into Kamakura.
The name appears in the Kojiki of 712. Kamakura is also mentioned in the c. 8th century Man’yōshū as well as in the Wamyō Ruijushō of 938. However, the city clearly appears in the historical record only with Minamoto no Yoritomo and his shogunate of 1192.
Kamakura’s heyday
The extraordinary events, the historical characters, and the culture of the century that goes from Minamoto no Yoritomo’s birth to the assassination of the last of his sons have been throughout Japanese history the background and the inspiration for countless poems, books, jidaigeki TV dramas, Kabuki plays, songs, mangas and even videogames, and are necessary to make sense of much of what one sees in today’s Kamakura.
Minamoto no Yoritomo, after the defeat and almost complete extermination of his family at the hands of the Taira clan, managed in the space of a few years to go from being a fugitive hiding from his enemies inside a tree trunk to being the most powerful man in the land. Defeating the Taira clan, Yoritomo became de facto ruler of Japan and founder of the Kamakura shogunate, an institution destined to last until 1333 and to have immense repercussions over the country’s history. Though Yoritomo was not the first to ever hold the title of Shogun, he was the first to wield it over the whole nation. The beginning of the Kamakura shogunate marked the rise of military (samurai) power and the suppression of the Emperor’s power, who was compelled to preside without effective political or military power[11]. In addition, this war and its aftermath established red and white, the colors of the Taira and Minamoto standards, as Japan’s national colors. Today, these colors can be seen on the flag of Japan, and also in banners and flags in sumo and other traditional activities[11]. In 1179 Yoritomo married Hōjō Masako, an event of far-reaching consequences for Japan.
In 1180 Yoritomo entered Kamakura, in 1185 his forces, commanded by legendary hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune, vanquished the Taira and in 1192 he received from Emperor Go-Toba the title of seii-tai shogun (征夷大将軍, seii-tai shogun?). The Minamoto dynasty and its power however ended as quickly and unexpectedly as they had started.
In 1199 Yoritomo died falling from his horse when he was only 51 and was succeeded by his 17-year-old son and second shogun, Minamoto no Yoriie. Yoriie became head of the Minamoto clan and was appointed seii-tai shogun in 1202 but, by that time, real power had already fallen into the hands of his grandfather Hōjō Tokimasa and his mother Hōjō Masako[12]. Yoriie plotted to take power back from the Hōjō clan, but failed and was assassinated on July 17, 1204[12]. From then on all power would belong to the Hōjō, and the shogun would be just a figurehead. Since the Hōjō were part of the Taira clan, it can be said that the Taira had lost a battle, but in the end had won the war.
Yoritomo’s second son and third shogun Minamoto no Sanetomo spent most of his life staying out of politics and writing good poetry, but was nonetheless famously assassinated in January 1219 under the giant ginkgo tree that still stands at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū under suspicious circumstances. Barely 30 years into the shogunate, the Minamoto dynasty had ended. The Hōjō Regency, a unique episode in Japanese history, however continued until Nitta Yoshisada defeated it in 1333.
The fall, renaissance and final decline of the city
As we have seen, a major change took place in the Kamakura shogunate when the Hōjō, acting as regents for the shogun, usurped power. It was under their regency that Kamakura acquired many of its best and most prestigious temples and shrines, for example Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, Kenchō-ji, Engaku-ji, Jufuku-ji, Jōchi-ji, and Zeniarai Benten Shrine. The Hōjō family crest in the city is therefore still ubiquitous.
Finally, on July 5, 1333 warlord Nitta Yoshisada, who was an Emperor loyalist, attacked Kamakura. After trying to enter by land through the Kewaizaka Pass and the Gokuraku-ji Pass, he and his forces waited for a low tide, bypassed the Inamuragasaki cape, entered the city and finally took it.
In accounts of that disastrous Hōjō defeat it is recorded that nearly 900 Hōjō samurai, including the last three Regents, committed suicide at their family temple, Tōshō-ji, whose ruins have been found in today’s Ōmachi. The city was sacked and many temples were burned.
Many simple citizens imitated the Hōjō, and an estimated total of over six thousand died on that day of their own hand. In 1953 556 skeletons of that period were found during excavations near Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū Ichi no Torii in Yuigahama, all of people who had died of a violent death, probably at the hand Nitta’s forces. The Kamakura period was over, and Kamakura would never be the same again.
When Ashikaga Takauji became shogun in 1335, he at first established his residence at the same site where Yoritomo’s mansion had been, but in 1336 he left Kamakura in charge of a deputy and moved to Kyoto. Kamakura slowly recovered from the blow it had received and became a kind of secondary administrative center where laws and regulations were made. As the city of residence of the governor, it regained part of its former affluence and prestige, but not only was it nonetheless a shadow of its former self, but this period of renaissance lasted barely a century.
Kamakura was again heavily damaged during a siege in 1454 and almost completely burned during the Siege of Kamakura (1526). Many of its citizens moved to Odawara when it came to prominence as the seat of the Late Hōjō clan. The final blow to the city was the decision taken in 1603 by the Tokugawa shoguns to move the capital to nearby Edo, the place now called Tokyo. The city gradually returned to be the poor fishing village it used to be before Yoritomo’s arrival.
The Meiji era and the 20th century
After the Meiji restoration Kamakura’s great cultural assets, its beach and the mystique that surrounded its name made it as popular as it is now, and for pretty much the same reasons. The destruction of its heritage nonetheless didn’t stop: during the anti-buddhist violence of 1868 (haibutsu kishaku) that followed the official policy of separation of Shinto and Buddhism (shinbutsu bunri) many of the city temples were damaged. In other cases, because mixing the two religions was now forbidden, shrines or temples had to give away some of their treasures, thus damaging their cultural heritage and decreasing the value of their properties. Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū’s giant Niō (仁王, Niō?)] (the two wooden wardens gods usually found at the sides of a temple’s entrance), for example, being objects of Buddhist worship and therefore illegal where they were, were brought to Jufuku-ji, where they still are. The shrine also had to destroy Buddhism-related buildings, for example its tahōtō (多宝塔, tahōtō?) tower, its midō (御堂, midō?), and its garan (伽藍, garan?). Some Buddhist temples were simply closed, like Zenkō-ji, to which the now-independent Meigetsu-in used to belong.
In 1890 the railroad, which until then had arrived just to Ofuna, reached Kamakura, bringing in tourists and new residents, and with them a new prosperit.
The epicenter of the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923 was deep beneath Izu Ōshima Island in Sagami Bay. It devastated Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and caused widespread damage throughout the Kantō region. It was reported that the sea receded at an unprecedented velocity, and then its wave rushed back towards the shore in a great wall of water over twenty feet high, drowning some and crushing others beneath an avalanche of water-born debris. The total death toll from earthquake, tsunami, and fire exceeded 2,000 victims. Large sections of the shore simply slid into the sea; and the beach area near Kamakura was raised up about six-feet; or in other words, where there had only been a narrow strip of sand along the sea, a wide expanse of sand was fully exposed above the waterline.
Many temples founded centuries ago are therefore carefully re-created replicas, and it’s for this reason that Kamakura has just one National Treasure (the Shariden at Engaku-ji). Much of Kamakura’s heritage was destroyed and later rebuilt.
Nichiren in Kamakura
Kamakura is known among Buddhists for having been during the 13th century the cradle of Nichiren Buddhism. Founder Nichiren wasn’t a native: he was born in Awa Province, in today’s Chiba Prefecture, but it was only natural to a preacher to come here because at the time the city was the political center of the country. He settled down in a straw hut in the Matsubagayatsu district, where three temples (Ankokuron-ji, Myōhō–ji, and Chōshō-ji), have been fighting for centuries for the honor of being the true heir of the master[23]. During his turbulent life Nichiren came and went, but Kamakura always remained at the heart of his religious activities. Once in Katase he was about to be executed by the Hōjō regency for being a troublemaker and was saved literally by a miracle, it’s in Kamakura that he wrote his famous Risshō Ankoku Ron (立正安国論, Risshō Ankoku Ron?), or “Treatise on Peace and Righteousness”, and it’s here that he preached.
The locations most important to Nichiren Buddhism are:
* The three temples in Matsubagayatsu
Ankokuron-ji claims to have on its grounds the cave where the master, with the help of a white monkey, hid from his persecutors. (It must be noted however that Hosshō-ji in Zushi’s Hisagi district makes the same claim, and with a better historical basis.) Within Ankokuron-ji lie also the spot where Nichiren used to meditate while admiring Mount Fuji, the place where his most faithful disciple Nichiro was cremated, and the cave where he is supposed to have written his Risshō Ankoku Ron.
Nearby Myōhō–ji (also called “Koke-dera” or “Temple of Moss”), a much smaller temple, was erected in an area where Nichiren had his home for 19 years.
The third Nichiren temple in Nagoe, Chōshō-ji, also claims to lie on the very spot where it all started.
* The Nichiren Tsujiseppō Ato (日蓮聖人辻説法跡, Nichiren Tsujiseppō Ato?) on Komachi Ōji in the Komachi district contains the very stone from which he used to harangue the crowds, claiming that the various calamities that were afflicting the city at the moment were due to the moral failings of its citizens.
* The former execution ground at Katase’s Ryūkō-ji where Nichiren was about to be beheaded (an event known to Nichiren’s followers as the Tatsunokuchi Persecution (龍ノ口法難, Tatsunokuchi Persecution?)), and where he was miraculously saved when thunder struck the executioner. Nichiren had been condemned to death for having written the Risshō Ankoku Ron. Every year, on September 12, Nichiren devotees gather to celebrate the anniversary of the miracle.
* The Kesagake no Matsu (袈裟掛けるの松, Kesagake no Matsu?), the pine tree on the road to Inamuragasaki from which Nichiren hanged his kesa (a Buddhist stole) so that it wouldn’t get soaked in his blood during his execution. The original pine tree however died and has been replaced many times.
Famous locations
Kamakura has many historically significant Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, some of them, like Sugimoto-dera, over 1200 years old. Kōtoku-in, with its monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha, is the most famous. A 15th century tsunami destroyed the temple that once housed the Great Buddha, but the statue survived and has remained outdoors ever since. This iconic Daibutsu is arguably amongst the few images which have come to represent Japan in the world’s collective imagination. Kamakura also hosts the so-called Five Great Zen Temples (the Kamakura Gozan).
The architectural heritage of Kamakura is almost unmatched, and the city has proposed 23 of its historic sites for inclusion in Unesco’s World Heritage Sites list. It must be remembered, however, that much of the city was devastated in the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 and that many temples and shrines, however founded centuries ago, are physically just careful replicas.
Some of Kamakura’s highlights are:
* The Asaina Pass and its Kumano Jinja
* Ankokuron-ji
* An’yō-in
* Chōshō-ji
* Engaku-ji, ranked Number Two among Kamakura’s Great Zen Temples
* Hatakeyama Shigeyasu’s grave
* Jōchi-ji, ranked Number Four among Kamakura’s Great Zen Temples
* Jōmyō-ji temple, ranked Number Five among Kamakura’s Great Zen Temples
* Jufuku-ji, ranked Number Three among Kamakura’s Great Zen Temples
* Hase-dera
* Kanagawa Prefectural Ofuna Botanical Garden
* Kenchō-ji, ranked Number One among Kamakura’s Great Zen Temples and, together with Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, the pride of the city
* Kōmyō-ji
* Kōtoku-in and its Great Buddha
* The Kamakura Museum of Literature, the former villa of Marquises Maeda
* Meigetsu-in
* Minamoto no Yoritomo’s grave
* Moto Hachiman
* Myōhō-ji
* Ōfuna Kannon [1]
* Tatsunokuchi, where Mongol emissaries were beheaded and buried.
* Katase’s Ryūkō-ji
* Sugimoto-dera
* The Shakadō Pass (see description below)
* Tōkei-ji, famous in the past as a refuge for battered women
* Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, symbol of the city
* Wakamiya Ōji Avenue, with its three beautiful torii and cherry trees
* Yuigahama, a popular beach
* Zaimokuza Beach
* Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine, where visitors go to wash their coins
* Zuisen-ji, famous for its garden
Festivals and other events
Kamakura has many festivals (matsuri (祭り, matsuri?)) and other events in each of the seasons, usually based on its rich historical heritage. They are often sponsored by private businesses and, unlike those in Kyoto, they are relatively small-scale events attended mostly by locals and a few tourists[29]. January in particular has many because it’s the first month of the year, so authorities, fishermen, businesses and artisans organize events to pray for their own health and safety, and for a good and prosperous working year. Kamakura’s numerous temples and shrines, first among them city symbols Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū]] and Kenchō-ji, organize many events too, bringing the total to over a hundred.
January
4th - Chōna-hajimeshiki (手斧初式, Chōna-hajimeshiki?) at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū: This event marks the beginning of the working year for local construction workers who, for the ceremony, use traditional working tools[29]. The festival also commemorates Minamoto no Yoritomo, who ordered the reconstruction of the main building of the shrine after it was destroyed by fire in 1191. The ceremony takes place at 1:00 PM at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū.
February
Day before the first day of spring (usually Feb. 3) - Setsubun Matsuri (節分祭, Setsubun Matsuri?) at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, Kenchō-ji, Hase-dera, Kamakura-gū, etc. : Celebration of the end of winter. Beans are scattered in the air to ensure good luck.
April
2nd to 3rd Sunday: Kamakura Matsuri at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū and other locations: A whole week of events that celebrate the city and its history.
May
5th - Kusajishi (草鹿, Kusajishi?) at the Kamakura Shrine: Archers in samurai gear shoot arrows at a straw deer while reciting old poems.
July
1st - 31st - Little Thailand Beach Event: A group of Thai restaurants and shops stays open until the end of August on Yuigahama’s beach.
August
10th (or following Monday if it falls on a Saturday): A full hour of fireworks on the beach in Yuigahama.
September
14th, 15th and 16th - Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū Reitaisai (鶴岡八幡宮例大祭, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū Reitaisai?): Famous festival with many attractions, the most famous of which is the Yabusame (流鏑馬, Yabusame?), or Japanese horseback archery, which takes place on the 16th.
The Shakadō Pass
Besides the Seven Entrances there is another great pass in the city, the huge Shakadō Pass (釈迦堂切通, Shakadō Pass?) which connects Shakadōgayatsu[24] to the Ōmachi and Nagoe (formerly called Nagoshi) districts.
According to the plaque near the pass itself, the name derives from the fact that third Shikken Hōjō Yasutoki built here a Shakadō (a Buddhist temple devoted to Shakyamuni) dedicated to his father Yoshitoki’s memory. The original location of the temple is unclear, but it was closed some time in the middle Muromachi Period. The Shaka Nyorai statue that is supposed to have been its main object of cult has been declared an important cultural property and is conserved at Daien-ji in Meguro, Tokyo.
Although important, the pass was not considered one of the Entrances because it connected two areas both fully within Kamakura[4]. Its date of creation is unclear, as it’s not explicitly mentioned in any historical record, and it could be therefore recent[4]. It seems very likely however that a pass which connected the Kanazawa Road to the Nagoe area called Inukakezaka (犬懸坂, Inukakezaka?) and mentioned in the Genpei Jōsuiki (源平盛哀記, Genpei Jōsuiki?) in relation to a 1180 war in Kotsubo between the Miura clan and the Hatakeyama clan is indeed the Shakadō Pass[31]. In any case, the presence of two yagura tombs (see the following section) within it means that it can be dated to at least the Kamakura period. It was then an important way of transit, but it was also much narrower than today and harder to pass.
Inside the pass there are two small yagura tombs containing some gorintō. On the Shakadōgayatsu side of the pass, just before the first houses a small street on the left takes to a large group of yagura called Shakadōgayatsu Yagura-gun. There rest the bones of some of the hundreds of Hōjō family members who committed seppuku at Tōshō-ji after the fall of Kamakura in 1333.
The pass appears many times in some recent Japanese films like “The Blue Light”, “Heavenly Forest”, and “Peeping Tom” (真木栗ノ穴, Makiguri no ana?). The pass is presently closed to all traffic because of the danger posed by falling rocks.
The yagura tombs
An important and characteristic feature of Kamakura is a type of grave called yagura (やぐら, yagura?)
Yagura are caves dug on the side of hills during the Middle Ages to serve as tombs for high-ranking personalities and priests. Two famous examples are Hōjō Masako’s and Minamoto no Sanetomo’s cenotaphs in Jufuku-ji’s cemetery, about 1 km from Kamakura Station.
Usually present in the cemetery of most Buddhist temples in the town, they are extremely numerous also in the hills surrounding it, and estimates of their number always put them in the thousands. Yagura can be found either isolated or in groups of even 180 graves, as in the Hyakuhachi Yagura (百八やぐら, Hyakuhachi Yagura?). Many are now abandoned and in a bad state of preservation.
The reason why they were dug is not known, but it is thought likely that the tradition started because of the lack of flat land within the narrow limits of Kamakura’s territory. Started during the Kamakura period (1185–1333), the tradition seems to have declined during the following Muromachi period, when storehouses and cemeteries came to be preferred.
True yagura can be found also in the Miura Peninsula, in the Izu Peninsula, and even in distant Awa Province (Chiba).
Tombs in caves can also be found in the Tohoku region, near Hiroshima and Kyoto, and in Ishikawa Prefecture, however they are not called yagura and their relationship with those in Kanagawa Prefecture is unknown.
Get around
Kamakura is just a little too big to cover on foot, but a network of buses radiates out from the train station. Kotokuin and Hasedera can also be reached by taking the Enoden line three stops out to Hase station.
Nevertheless, for the energetic ones, there is a nice hike starting from the Tōkeiji and ending near the Kōtokuin. You will walk, with some climbing, through forest. The hike also passes through Zeniarai Benten Shrine, if you are curious about the money washing ceremony. The hike takes about 3 hours, if you also stop and visit the temples along the way. Even in Summer, the shade on the path manages to keep the temperature bearable (you still are in Japan in Summer, anyway!). If you are on a day-trip, doing the hike of course limits a bit the chances of visiting some of the less reachable temples.
See
Kamakura’s sights are scattered around the city. Most visitors make a beeline for the Great Buddha and stop off at Hase Kannon on the way; these sights can be very crowded on weekends and holidays.
Central Kamakura
* Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine (鶴岡八幡宮). The largest Shinto shrine in otherwise almost solidly Buddhist Kamakura, built by Yoritomo Minamoto (1147-1199) founder of the Kamakura Shogunate and the first Shogun in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). Just a bit north of the station, this shrine attracts a million visitors on New Year’s Day to see the first sunrise of the year (Japan Rail runs trains all night long). If you’re lucky, you may see a traditional wedding going on in the plaza in front of the main shrine. The Ritual Dance Stage (舞殿) is the spot where Yoritomo forced the hunted Yoshitsune’s Lady Shizuka to perform a dance for him. Rather than celebrating Yoritomo, Lady Shizuka’s dance expressed her love for Yoshitsune and her sorrow at his plight. This event is commemorated during the Kamakura Festival in April. Twice each year, in the spring and fall, you can watch demonstrations of Yabusame (archery from galloping horseback, in full samurai regalia) at Hachiman-gu.
* Myohonji Temple (妙本寺). The cemetery contains the grave of the creator of Ultraman, a popular 1960s tv show. Fans who visit the grave place toy Ultraman action figures on his grave.
Western Kamakura (Hase)
The following sights are in western Kamakura, mostly near the Enoden Hase station.
* Kōtokuin (高徳院). Home of the famous Great Buddha (大仏 Daibutsu), a bronze statue of Amida that at 13.35 meters is the second largest in Japan (second only to that in Nara’s Todaiji). Thought to be cast in 1252, the statue was originally housed in a giant temple hall, but the building was washed away in a tidal wave. Entry to temple grounds is ¥200, while an additional ¥20 will allow you inside the statue itself where you can take in the view from the statue’s back, open 7 AM to 5:30 PM daily.
* Hasedera (長谷寺), also Hase Kannon [2]. Home to the largest wooden statue in Japan, representing Buddhist deity Kannon. An interesting if somewhat claustrophobic grotto on the grounds is filled with statues of Benzaiten. Entry ¥300.
* Zeniarai Benten Shrine (銭洗い弁天). An atmospheric shrine in the hills dedicated to the deity Benzaiten, but popularly named after the most common activity: according to legend, any money (zeni) washed (arai) in the cave here will be doubled. You can also purchase o-mamori (protective charm) and have a kannushi (shinto priest) strike sparks from a flint over it to increase its power. It is about a kilometer away from Kamakura station. As there is no direct bus service, those in a hurry should take a taxi. Otherwise, the undemanding 20-minute stroll gives pleasant views of residential areas with quiet gardens. The shrine itself is reached via a long, but well-illuminated tunnel bored right through the rock. The hill above, Genjiyama, has a park with excellent views over the city. It is also a popular place for viewing the cherry blossoms in early spring. From here you can reach the hiking trail running from Tokeiji to the Kōtokuin.
North Kamakura
The following temples are near JR Kitakamakura station.
* Engakuji (円覚寺). Number two of Kamakura’s Five Zen Temples, founded in 1282 to commemorate soldiers who fell fighting off the Mongol invasion the previous year. The Shariden building on the grounds is reputed to contain one of the teeth of the Buddha. Atop a hill near the temple is the temple’s large bell and next to it a teahouse famous for its tokoroten (sweet cold noodles) — although foreigners tasting this peculiarly salty and slimy concoction may wonder why.
* Kenchōji (建長寺). Number one of Kamakura’s Five Zen Temples, the oldest in Kamakura (built 1253) and one of the oldest in all Japan. The temple bell here too has been designated a National Treasure, and there’s a nice Zen garden as well.
* Tōkeiji (東慶寺) . A nunnery famous in the feudal days for sheltering abused women, who could obtain a divorce by staying here for three years. Has a large and atmospheric graveyard. Also called “Kakekomidera” (the fugitive temple), and famous for its hydrangeas.
* The artist Isamu Noguchi lived and created ceramics in Kita (North) Kamakura in 1952.
East Kamakura
The temples of eastern Kamakura lie off the beaten tourist track and are for that very reason worth a visit. While you can reach these on foot, it’s probably wiser to take a bus as there’s still a fair bit of climbing to do just to get around the temples.
* Jōmyōji (浄妙寺). Sample tea ceremony on the cheap here with a ¥500 cup of matcha tea in the gardens.
* Sugimotodera (杉本寺). Tranquil hillside temple with a newer stone stairway to the left of the even steeper, worn-out original one, and views over the town. The oldest temple in Kamakura, founded 734. Eleven-faced statue of Kannon.
* Shakado Kiritoshi (釈迦堂切り通し). Fifteen min walk from Sugimoto Kannon. Kamakura is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the ocean on the fourth. Very narrow roads were cut through the mountains, to make for easy defense. The Shakado Kiritoshi (pass) is cut through solid rock, and very impressive even today.
* Hōkokuji (報国寺). Notable for its lovely bamboo grove. You can get matcha here too.
Nearby
* Taya Cavern (Taya no Dookutsu) is actually in Yokohama, but is closer to Kamakura both geographically and historically. It is well worth a half-day excursion. The cavern is in the precinct of Josenji Temple, Sakae-ku, Taya-machi 1501 (take the JR Yokosuka Line two stops north of Kamakura to Ofuna Station; take a bus bound for Totsuka Bus Center; after about 8 minutes, get off at Dookutsu-mae bus stop; the temple is just to the right of the large radon spa building), +81 (0)45 851-2392. Every day, 9AM-4:30PM.
From about the year 1200 to 1700, Shingon Buddhist monks gradually excavated this underground maze of tunnels as a site for spiritual training. You will be given a candle which you slip onto a wooden holder outside the entrance, and light at the candle inside the doorway. Damp, silent corridors lead to small, domed meditation chambers with walls and ceilings carved with fantastic creatures and Buddhist images, and on down to the spring room with a great turtle and birds carved on the walls. A small flashlight would be useful to see the images that candlelight doesn’t reach. ¥400 (¥200 high school and junior high school students; ¥100 elementary school students).
And if you visit this cavern, there are two other attractions close by: A short walk up the hill to the left of the radon spa building is Suenosato, (Taya-machi 1483; 851-8855), a studio displaying beautiful and expensive handcrafted pottery and glassware that range from whimsical to Wabi-sabi. And if you come out of the cavern temple and turn left along the road, it is a short walk to the spa Yukai Sokai Taya (Taya-machi 1463; 854-2641; Every day 10AM-3AM; ¥600 M-F, ¥700 Sa, Su), housed in a building with the large neon character for bath on the roof.
Do
Hiking
Kamakura has several hiking trails that can provide relief from the crowds at the more popular shrines and temples. The Daibutsu hiking course starts a few hundred meters down the road from Kōtokuin. The trail has several offshoots that lead to various small shrines and temples. If it has rained recently, the trail could be muddy and there are several steep sections.
Beaches
Kamakura is not just a historical city which has a lot of temples, shrines, and other historical buildings — there are also some popular beaches in Kamakura. You can feel the atmosphere of the Shonan Coast in the bright sunshine and have a good time there, especially in summer.
* Yuigahama (由比ヶ浜) is a representative beach in Kamakura. So many people visit here in summer. You can enjoy the sea-bathing here too. This is also a good spot to have a good sight of Kamakura firework display held in summer.
You can see fireworks in summer. Kamakura is famous for aquatic fireworks.
* Inamuragasaki（稲村ヶ崎) is also a famous beach. The Inamuragasaki Park (稲村ガ崎公園 Inamuragasaki Kōen) is located here and is well known for its sunsets. The film “Inamura Jane” (稲村ジェーン), directed by Keisuke Kuwata, was set here. The remains of the Hojo, Kamakura’s government, was destroyed here in 1333. It follows along national road 134.
* Shichirigahama (七里ヶ浜) is also a famous beach in Kamakura. Sad to say, you can not swim here. But it’s still a good beach to relax and have a good time. Many surfers enjoy surfing here.
Buy
Kamakura is famous for a biscuit called Hatosabure (鳩サブレー), a biscuit shaped like a pigeon. Sold next to Kamakura station and a very popular omiyage (souvenir) among the Japanese.
Alternatively, combine good taste with bad taste by purchasing a pack of Giant Buddha shaped pastries stuffed with red bean paste, sold at the souvenir stands in and near Kotokuin.
Eat
There are a large number of places to eat in the vicinity of the train station. For a snack, try the local specialty, purple potato soft ice cream (murasaki-imo sofuto), which tastes much better than it sounds (or looks).
In Komachi street, there is a rice cracker (o-senbei) shop where you can toast your own o-senbei. One cracker costs about 200 yen.
* Saryo Inoue (茶寮いの上), 1-4-4 Komachi, ☎ 0467-23-3112. Open 10 AM to 6 PM, closed non-holiday Mondays. The set lunches of traditional Japanese food served here complement the historic atmosphere in Kamakura. Second-floor restaurant has a decent view and is in the plaza on the east side of the Kamakura station. English menus.¥800-1200.
Sleep
Most visitors daytrip from Tokyo, but there is a pretty good selection of accommodation if you want to spend the night.
* Kamakura-Hase Youth Hostel, (3 min from Enoden Hase station). As a word of warning, the owners of the guest house are very strict towards upholding their rules.¥3200/4000 member/non-member.
Contact
Pick up a useful map of the temples from Kamakura station’s tourist information office before you head out.
Get In and Out
Kamakura is a very popular day trip from Tokyo for locals and tourists alike, and there are plenty of transportation options.
By train
The fastest way in is by JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station (one hour, ¥890) and Yokohama (25 minutes, ¥330). The JR Kamakura-Enoshima Free Kippu (¥1,110 from Yokohama, ¥1,970 from Tokyo) gets you a round trip from Tokyo to Kamakura (local trains only) plus unlimited use of Enoden and Shonan Monorail lines.
A cheaper alternative is to take the private Odakyu line from Shinjuku to Fujisawa, then change onto the rattling old Enoden (江ノ電) half-train/half-streetcar line that terminates in Kamakura. The longer (about 90-minute) travel time is compensated for by views of Enoshima island and the Shonan coast. The Enoshima-Kamakura Free Pass (¥1,430) will get you a roundtrip from Shinjuku and unlimited use of the Enoden line for one day.
This article contains information from the Wikitravel article “Kamakura” based on work by Jesse Miers, Jani Patokallio, David, Brian Kurkoski, Stacy Hall, Tyler Campbell and Stefano Pelli, Wikitravel user(s) Episteme and Cacahuate, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. Additional information comes from the Wikipedia article “Kamakura, Kanagawa“.
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