Kamakura was one of those places in Japan that really stood out to me thanks to the amazing sightseeing destinations that I came across during my visit there. I only spent a day and yet I still had an unforgettable time visiting temples, shrines, and even a destination straight out of an anime! If you have time, make sure to check out my itinerary and maybe it can help you in the future when you’re planning your trip here.
Anyway, my trip here started from Yokohama. I had booked a stay at Hyatt Regency Hotel Yokohama and took the train to Kamakura. The whole ride took about 60 minutes so you might want to wake up early.
My Kamakura Day Trip Itinerary: 6 Great Places to Visit
Great Buddha of Kamakura at Kotoku-in
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The first destination that I decided to visit was the Great Buddha of Kamakura at Kotoku-in. This place wasn’t as large as the shrines and temples that I’ve been to but it’s no less beautiful and historical. The first thing that greeted me when I got there was this Niomon Gate. It’s a lot smaller compared to the one at Zenkoji but still very interesting.
Like with a lot of shrines and temples that I’ve been to, Kotoku-in has a chozuya for guests to symbolically wash away their impurities. The chozuya and chozubachi pictured here can be found immediately after you get past the ticket/admissions center.
The Great Buddha of Kamakura was arguably one of the most imposing statues that I’d seen in my recent trip. More impressive than its size though is the statue’s history. Casted from bronze in the mid-1200s, the statue has witnessed some of the worst natural disasters and is still miraculously standing (or is it sitting?).
Up close, the Great Buddha looks even more impressive with its weathered look and just the sheer size of it. There are going to be a lot of visitors to Kotoku-in at this time of the year so expect your shots to have a lot of people in your shots. That said, the people who were very respectful and it was rare to see groups that were loud and/or obnoxious.
Here’s the Great Buddha Statue from another angle with a saisenbako in front of it. Also, you can see a small hut/stall off to the side and back of the statue. That’s where you can pay for admission for a tour of the Great Buddha statue’s interior. Then off to the back, you’ll see a pavilion surrounding the statue. If you’re interested in getting souvenirs, then there’s a shop here just for that that you might want to check out.
This is the back of the Great Buddha and as I said in my review of Kotoku-in, the statue looks even more imposing from this angle. Behind me from this vantage point is an area that can be accessed through the pavilion that features a garden as well as the temple’s Kangetsudo and a poetry monument for Yosano Akiko.
If you thought the Great Buddha Statue looked impressive then you’ll even be more impressed once you see its interiors. For just JPY100, you’ll get to see the results of the sophisticated technique that was used to layer the bronze and form it into the statue that we see now.
Overall, Kotoku-in was a great first destination here at Kamakura. It was a short walk to discover all that it had to offer which means you can have more time for your next destination.
Activity/Destination: Kotoku-in
Admission Fee: JPY300 (General Admission); JPY100 (Tour of Great Buddha Statue’s Interior)
Notable activities/attractions: Nio-mon Gate, Great Buddha Statue, Kangetsudo
Business Hours: 8:00AM-5:30PM (April-September); 8:00AM-5:00PM (October-March)
Best Time to Visit: Spring-Summer
Next, walking distance to Hase-dera Temple
Hase-dera Temple
Hase-dera Temple is perhaps one of the few destinations in Kamakura that’s considered a must-visit. It features great views, has plenty of historically significant buildings, and is just an overall cool place to be in. Plus, if you’re following my itinerary, it’s just walking distance away from Kotoku-in.
One of the first things you’ll notice once you reach the temple’s premises is the gate and this red lantern hanging from it (the characters on the lantern read Hase-dera). The gate itself looks weathered and just in front of it is a tree leaning at a rather odd angle that’s really IG-worthy.
The admissions/information center for the temple can be found on the building to your left if you’re facing the temple’s gates. Admission for adults is priced at JPY400 and once you’re inside the temple grounds, you’ll come face to face with the Myochi pond. If you enjoy ponds then you’ll be glad to know that you’ll come across about 2 more of these bodies of water while you’re here.
Here’s another view of Myochi pond. As it was winter when I got here, the deciduous trees in this pond (and the rest of temple grounds) understandably lost their leaves though not their charm.
One of the unique Kannon here in Hase-dera. These are called Fure-ai Kannon and what worshippers do is after they drop off their monetary offerings at the saisenbako (the small box to the right of the rightmost Kannon) they then touch them before offering up their prayers.
A path that you can find to the left of Myochi Pond. This specific path leads to a set of stairs going up to where the main temple hall is. The plants and trees here look like they were meticulously landscaped and grew here naturally at the same time.
You’d typically see chozubachi inside a pavilion but here it’s out in the open. That said, its function hasn’t lessened even if it’s not inside a chozuya. Worshippers can still make use of the hishaku to ladle water and symbolically purify themselves before they proceed to the next areas of the temple complex.
This is Kannon-do Hall and in front of it is a pavilion that has a koro or incense burner. If you proceed inside, you’ll see the 11-headed Kannon that is this temple’s “claim to fame” (for lack of a better term). Other than the Kannon, the hall also has stalls where you can purchase omamori.
This area also has Amida-do Hall which you can find adjacent to Kannon-do Hall. Here you’ll find the Amida statue that was said to be commissioned for Minamoto Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate. To the right of the pavilion with the koro is the Shoro Belfry. It features a 1984 replica of a bell that was originally cast in 1264 and is considered an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
This is an ema-kake or rack for hanging ema. This one can be found in the Inari-sha which is an area that’s just a couple of steps away from the Shoro Belfry and Amida-do Hall. What’s interesting about the ema here is that they look like oyster shells and that’s because these (the oyster shells) were said to receive divine guidance from Kannon.
Aside from Kannon-do Hall, the temple complex also has an attraction that serves as its version of Kenrokuen Garden’s Panoramic Viewpoint. Called the Ocean View Path, this is a short hiking route that will lead you to scenic views of Sagami Bay and the Pacific. If you come here in the spring and/or summer, you’ll also be regaled by Hydrangea flowers in bloom along this path.
Benten-kutsu Cave is another attraction here in Hase-dera Temple that is well worth checking out. It’s on the northernmost part of the temple complex and features plenty of Buddhist and even Shinto statues. As its name implies though, the cave is mainly dedicated to Benten or Benzaiten.
If I remember correctly, this statue in the foreground is of Gyuba Doji, one of the Sixteen Child Deities. The other sixteen are also featured here and you can actually offer up prayers to them.
If you do decide to light up a candle to one or more of the child deities, then you’ll find some near the middle of this room. Take note though that the candles are not for free. You’ll need to offer JPY200 after which you can have a candle lit from a nearby lamp.
This is the area that leads to Benzaiten’s statues. You’ll need to duck as you go through this area as the ceiling of the passage is quite low. Moreover, you might want to turn back at this point if you’re claustrophobic.
If you end up proceeding to this area then make sure you watch out for your head as the ceiling is still quite low here. Thankfully, the area is rather well lit so at least you won’t have to worry about lighting.
A statue of Benten/Benzaiten surrounded by Jizo Bodhisattva statues. I forgot to mention but as you go up to Kannon-do Hall, you’ll come across an area after the Manji Pond which has the Thousand Jizo statues surrounding a statue of Ksitigarbha.
Activity/Destination: Hase-dera Temple
Admission Fee: JPY400
Notable activities/attractions: Kannon-do Hall, Ocean View Path Hike, Benten-kutsu Cave, Manji Pond, Thousand Jizo Statues
Business Hours: 8:00AM-5:30PM (March-September); 8:00AM-4:30PM (October-February)
Best Time to Visit: Anytime; Spring and/or Summer (ideal)
Lunch at Onari Yokocho restaurant
After the Hase-dera Temple visit wrapped up, I then headed to Onari Yokocho for lunch. The restaurant is actually just walking distance from Kamakura Station so if you want to cut your trip here short after lunch then you can just book a ticket out of the city. That said, I still had some unfinished business here in Kamakura so I decided to get sustenance in preparation for the afternoon’s activities.
The restaurant was unexpectedly bustling when I went inside though admittedly it wasn’t the noisy kind of busy. This reminded me of an izakaya setup where customers give the cook their orders and he then prepares these in real time.
My order was rather “safe” as I went with the restaurant’s Nigiri Sushi set that featured tuna rib, medium fatty tuna, and salmon). Other than sushi, the restaurant is known for its vegan and vegetarian dishes so those might be worth checking out as well.
Activity/Destination: Onari Yokocho
Price of Food: JPY2900 (Nigiri Sushi Set)
Notable activities/Food: Nigiri Sushi Set, Vegan/Vegetarian Menu Items
Business Hours: 12:00PM-9:00PM
Best Time to Visit: Lunch or Dinner
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
After lunch, I then headed on over to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. This was one of the busiest shrines that I’ve been to and it’s easy to see why. There were a lot of things to like here such as the views, the details of the buildings, and just how lively the whole place seemed.
This was one of two ponds along the path leading to the shrine. Called Genji-ike Pond, there is an area here that also has a shrine dedicated to Benzaiten. In fact, you can see some of the buildings in that shrine in the middle-right side of this picture.
Here’s the torii gate at the entrance of the Hataage Benzaiten Shrine. The flags here are dedications for the deceased and they’re absolutely everywhere. Just a couple of steps after the torii, you’ll come across a chozubachi.
Right next to Benzaiten’s Shrine is this emakake featuring the handwritten wishes of the worshippers who’ve visited here recently. It’s important to note that the shrine was rather busy during my own visit as this was around the New Year. The Japanese really love their Hatsumode and it shows here.
After the Hataage Benzaiten Shrine visit, I proceeded to the Maiden which is a stage where ritual dances and music are performed. To the right of this stage, I found this nice looking building which happened to be Wakamiya shrine. To its left is a smaller building which has the Goshuin seal awarding center (in case you’re interested in collecting Goshuin here).
An interesting display featuring used sake kegs or kazaridaru. A lot of these are donations from sake makers and breweries and the shrine has these displayed here likely as a means of giving recognition of their generosity. The brands typically range from Sakuramasamune, Masumi, Imanishiki, and Shinsei.
I’ve finally reached the shrine’s Grand Stairway and it actually looks quite grand. The stairs look impeccably clean and the komainu standing guard on each side looks absolutely intimidating. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine used to have a Great Ginkgo Tree in the area where there’s a red fence. Unfortunately, that tree fell sometime recently and so a successor tree has taken its place (though it’s still dealing with winter cold as evidenced by its leaves having fallen off).
Waiting for me at the top of the Grand Stairway is this imposing structure called the Romon Gate. On either side of the gate there are two statues standing guard over the shrine. These are Un-gayaku and A-gayaku and they were likely modeled after the Nio guardian statues Un-gyo and A-gyo respectively.
There’s also an Inari shrine on a small hill just a short distance to the right of the shrine. This place was honestly so refreshing that you might want to rest here for a bit before continuing your shrine visit.
Another subsidiary/auxiliary shrine here in Tsurugaoka Hachimangu that’s called the Shirahata Shrine. It’s rather unique compared to the other shrines here thanks to its color as well as for its details. Dedicated to Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Sanetomo, the shrine is a little out of the way as you’ll need to cross a little bridge first before you can access it.
Activity/Destination: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Admission Fee: Free
Notable activities/attractions: Hatsumode (New Year Shrine Visit), Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Main Shrine, Wakamiya Shrine, Taikobashi Bridge, Genji-ike Pond, Shirahata Shrine
Business Hours: 5:00AM-9:00PM (year round; grounds only), 6:00AM-8:00PM (main shrine)
Best Time to Visit: New Year, Spring, and Summer
Hokokuji Temple
Next up in my Kamakura itinerary is Hokokuji Temple. Now, this is a bit far from Hachimangu Shrine but I still think it’s worth checking out especially if you still have a lot of free time to spare. Entrance here is free though access to the Bamboo Forest is not (you will need to pay a minimum of JPY400).
The first thing you’ll notice here is the serene Zen garden. Unlike most that don’t look as good in winter, Hokoku-ji’s garden still looks very pristine even with some of its trees’ leaves falling off.
As you would expect from a Zen garden, it has a statue of a Buddha that I think might be Shakya Nyorai. The tree here also looks absolutely bonkers with its super wide trunk and really small tendril-like branches.
At this point, I’m very close to Hokokuji Temple. In fact, the temple is just up those stairs. Now I know your legs might be tired at this point but believe me, the stairs really aren’t an issue here.
This Shoro is one of the most unique buildings here thanks to its use of thatch roofing. As such, visitors aren’t allowed to bring and light their cigarettes here on the temple grounds. As for the age of the bonsho or bell, it’s said to have been crafted in the mid-1700s.
This is the main hall of the Hokokuji temple. It’s somewhat disappointing that it doesn’t display an enshrined statue but it’s still all good. The main hall isn’t what I came here for anyway.
I went ahead and paid the JPY600 admission and was greeted by this sight when I entered. Ended up looking up this tree on the internet and found very little information about it. I imagine the tree would look much better once it gets back its leaves during the spring or summer.
While it might seem like a good idea to immediately go through this path, you probably might get called out or reprimanded. There are direction arrows that you’re going to want to follow so make sure to check your surroundings for them (they’re usually very visible).
So this is where you should be going if you want to enter the bamboo grove. I eventually went through this area but only after I checked out Hokokuji Temple’s garden first.
So this is Hokokuji Temple’s Zen Garden and it’s definitely one of the most serene that I’ve visited. The pond has this mesh covering and I learned that it’s there to ensure the leaves falling from the trees won’t immediately fall through the water and change its pH level.
Like with a lot of Zen gardens, you’re not allowed to walk over the pebbles here as the area is actually fenced off. It’s still worth spending a little time here admiring the garden before you proceed to the bamboo grove.
This is a memorial for the Ashikaga clan that used to rule Japan as its shoguns for a good two centuries (from the early 1300s to the mid 1500s). Hokokuji was actually one of the clan’s family temples hence the presence of these memorials here. To get to this area, you’ll need to go through the bamboo grove.
The spot where there are three people talking is (roughly) where I took the shot of the previous image. Also, it’s not shown in this picture but to my right you’ll see the back of Hokokuji Temple and a little of the area where I was viewing the Zen garden.
The path here in the bamboo grove is actually quite straightforward and you’re guaranteed some really nice views. It’s not quite as impressive as Arashiyama’s Bamboo Forest but there’s also not that many tourists here so in that way, I think it’s actually better.
If you paid for the additional JPY600 for a matcha ticket then you can use that here at Kyukoan. This is a cafe run by the temple in the middle of the bamboo grove and it mainly serves matcha tea. Here you can enjoy your cup while relaxing and taking in the sights and sounds of the bamboo grove.
Activity/Destination: Hokokuji Temple
Admission Fee: Free, JPY400 (Bamboo Forest)
Notable activities/attractions: Hokokuji Temple Visit, Tour of Bamboo Forest
Business Hours: 9:00AM-4:00PM (daily)
Best Time to Visit: Anytime
Kamakura Kokomae Station
Next, take train to Kamakura Kokomae Station – The Iconic Slam Dunk Spot
A visit to Kamakura really won’t be complete if you don’t go to Kamakura Kokomae station. Featured in the Slam Dunk anime opening, this station has become an iconic destination for fans of the basketball anime both here in Japan and abroad. If you still have time, immediately get to Kamakura station from Hokokuji Temple and book a ride on the Enoden Line (Enoshima Electric Railway). One-way fare from Kamakura to Kamakura Kokomae (and vice versa) is around JPY180. You can also opt to get the Noriorikun 1-day pass ticket for JPY800 which I wouldn’t recommend if you plan to follow my itinerary.
As you can see, the station is relatively crowded especially now that it’s the afternoon. If you watched the Slam Dunk anime opening, the scene where the station was featured was set at this time of the day.
It’s kinda nuts how there are so many people here. If you’re wondering what they’re doing, they’re actually waiting for the green train that was featured in the Slam Dunk anime opening. If I remember correctly, I think this was the second train that passed by after I got here.
I finally got to see the green train after a couple more minutes and it was actually quite nostalgic. Take note though that this isn’t the exact train that was featured in the anime opening. In my post about this visit, I talked about how this specific train was part of the 500 series that was built and went into operation in the 2000s. Regardless whether it’s the exact train or not, this was still such a strong hit of nostalgia.
Activity/Destination: Kamakura Kokomae Station
Admission Fee: JPY180 (one-way pass from Kamakura Station to Kamakura Kokomae Station)
Notable activities: Wait for iconic green train
Business Hours: 5:00AM-12:00MN
Best Time to Visit: Afternoon (sunset)
That concluded my day visit to Kamakura, back to Yokohama by train
The Kamakura-Kokomae Station visit was a nice end to my 1-day itinerary in Kamakura. Of course, I still needed to get back to my hotel in Yokohama but that was a relatively straightforward task. I just rode the train back to Kamakura station and then rode another train (JR East) to Yokohama.
Hopefully you learned something from this itinerary! Do let me know if it helped you plan your own Kamakura day trip!
