Kamakura is a small city on the coast, a short train ride from Tokyo. It is a popular and easy day-trip destination. Tanya was still weak from her illness, so the short distance was a big plus. This was our second day in Japan (see our main Japan travel post here), and we were jet-lagged.

Kamakura is a former capital of Japan, which makes it historically important. We were surprised to hear about so many cities in Japan, that at some point in time were designated as the country capital. Later, we learned that every new emperor was supposed to pick a new capital – the practice which ended in the modern era. While in Kyoto, we heard that the new emperor was in town visiting the graves of his predecessors (another custom). He had a few cities to visit, poor guy.

We definitely recommend going to Kamakura. Since we visited it in November, we didn’t even go to the beach, which is one of the main attractions. We saw a few temples and shrines, each very different. Our lunch was also an adventure in cooking and in making our own okonomiyaki. But what we liked the most was a slower pace of this small city, especially when you get away from the top tourist spots.

Getting there

Getting to Kamakura from Tokyo is extremely easy and free if you have a JR Pass. Since we stayed near Tokyo Station, it took us just a bit over an hour on the JR Yokosuka Line (trains leave every 5 min in the morning). To get to the famous Kōtoku-in temple with the Great Buddha, you have to take a local train from the JR station. We didn’t do it when we arrived. Instead, we got off and headed for Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū shrine.

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū

This shrine was the first one on our list because of its proximity to the train station. It is the most important shrine in Kamakura and the most impressive as well. The buildings and the grounds are so beautiful and so well maintained that it is hard to believe that it is over 800 years old!

The shrine is located a short 5-minute walk away from Kamakura Station; it takes you along the pretty boulevard lined up with cherry trees. We felt free and happy for some reason, maybe because the weather was cooperating.

On the way to the shrine, we saw some women wearing traditional clothes, just going about their business. This was different from other places where people would rent kimonos just to take pictures.

You can also get to the shrine by following Komachi-dori Shopping Street, which starts on the left of the train station. We took a more direct route and came back to this street in the evening.

When we reached the shrine, we immediately ran into the crowds and almost turned back.

Luckily, the grounds are pretty big so it was easy to find quiet places around the sprawling pond crossed by several bridges. The foliage was quite spectacular as well along the small canals.

Tanya couldn’t resist taking this picture (below) near the main building where a grandfather stood protectively watching over a little girl in the bright red dress.

We exited the complex on the right of the main building through the side gate and walked to our next destination.

Hokokuji Temple

Hokokuji Temple is off the beaten path as everybody is flocking to see the Great Buddha in the opposite direction. The temple is about 20 min walk from Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, and it is not a very exciting walk along the busy road. We could have taken a bus, which we did on the way back. There are several signs, so it is hard to get lost – just don’t miss the side street on the right leading to the temple. There is a bus stop on the corner, where you can get a bus to go back to the station.

We entered through a beautiful wooden gate and took a few pictures in the garden before heading up to the temple. Tanya wanted to try the famous matcha tea, offered in the small house on the far side of the grounds. You have to go through a small bamboo grove to get there.

The tea house was almost empty, which added to an already calm atmosphere in this place. I didn’t like the tea; it was bitter even with the obligatory small cookies. I guess it was worth a try just for the experience.

I think Tanya liked it because she drank mine as well. Plus, she ate my cookie.

After the tea, we felt relaxed and not in the mood to walk back to the station so we took the bus. This was our first bus experience in Japan. We learned that you always enter the bus in the back and exit from the front. You have to take a ticket (which we didn’t) so that the driver knows when you got on as the price depends on the distance. You also have to have the exact amount or use the exchange machine by the driver. The first bus ride can be stressful, but the drivers and the passengers are used to stupid tourists. They were very patient with us.

Hasedera Temple

The bus dropped us off at the station, and we got back on the local train to Hase (3 stops). This is the station where everybody gets off to see Kōtoku-in temple with the Great Buddha. Hasedra is on the way, so we had to move very slowly with the flow of people filling the small sidewalks. It was a relief to turn left on a quiet side street leading to our destination.

The main temple was very pretty and so were the grounds on the lower level with carp-filled ponds, bridges, and plum trees.

We climbed up to the observation platform on the upper ground for the picturesque view of Kamakura and the seaside.

We read about the cave further on the grounds, with a low ceiling, and we were a bit worried about feeling claustrophobic inside. It turned out to be fine, we just had to bend while walking through the caverns full of tiny figurines of Benzaiten, the goddess of everything that flows.

Everywhere we went in the complex, we were met with the small statues of gods, sometimes in two’s and three’s and sometimes in what seemed to be hundreds of Japan many gods. They looked spooky and a little mad, maybe because of so many people disturbing their sanctuary.

Lunch

We’ve had enough of temples and shrines, so it was time to eat. Tanya had become our designated expert in the local eateries. She was the one who found Sometaro, okonomiyaki restaurant where you can cook your own meal.

The restaurant is on the same street which leads to Hosedera. It is on the corner, but we had to ask somebody because there were no signs in English. We got there around 2:30 pm, and the place was empty. This was one of our favorite eating experiences in Japan, although we weren’t big fans of okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is like a pancake made with flour, eggs, and cabbage. At Sometaro, they bring you the mix, and you put it on the hot surface in the middle of your table.

We ordered two different types: chicken and beef. The waitress told us exactly when to turn our okonomiyaki over, so it was hard to screw up the food even for such a bad cook as myself.

When okonomiyaki is ready, you top it with a variety of condiments like okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, dried seaweed, and dried bonito flakes. The great thing is that you can go as crazy or as conservative as you want.

The Great Buddha

After lunch, we went to see The Great Buddha. It was only a short walk from the restaurant. The copper statue is colossal, especially in comparison to people who swarm around it like little ants.

There was not much to do there other than look at the Buddha and take pictures. Also, we planned to do a bit of hiking and worried about the daylight – getting stuck in the woods after dark would be a great addition to our already long list of misfortunes during the trip (read more about the Top 10 Things that Went Wrong on our Trip to Japan).

Hiking Daibutsu Trail… almost

There are several good hikes in Kamakura. The Daibutsu Hiking Course is a great way to connect between the Great Buddha and Kita-Kamakura, from where you can take the train back to Tokyo. There is also a cool temple called Zeniarai-benten, which you can see on the way. If we had 1.5 hours, this is exactly what we would have done. But we didn’t because by the time we left the Great Buddha it was almost 3:30 pm. We figured that we’d just walk for a bit and turn back when it starts to get dark.

The hike entrance was a bit hard to find. We walked up the road past the Great Buddha and saw one sign, but almost missed the stairs going up right before the tunnel. We met a couple coming down, and they confirmed that the trail was up ahead. “It is possible, just a few falling branches,” they said, and we didn’t pay attention.

We kept going up the stairs and soon were on the trail. For the first time in Japan, we felt surrounded by nature. Since we like hiking a lot, it was a great feeling. No people either.

Unfortunately, we soon discovered that we were going the wrong way. I still don’t know what had happened. We came to a house, and the owner told us to turn around. He wasn’t mad at us, I guess we were not the first.

We backtracked our steps and only then noticed a sign saying that the trail was closed due to the damage made by the typhoon. By then, we were tired and ready to go home. We wanted a short walk in the woods and got just that.

We took the bus back to the station. There was still some time before the next train, so we walked up and down Komachi Street browsing some cute little stores.

We rested on the train and even managed to walk around Tokyo Station for a bit before finishing the day with a bowl of hot ramen.