Things to Do in Kamakura

The main shrine of Kamakura, founded in 1063. Walk up the broad approach lined with cherry trees and see the main hall, museum, and peony garden (small fee for garden). The shrine grounds are free.

🕐 Grounds open 24 hours; museum 9am-4pm, closed Mondays.

💡 Go early, around 7am, to see the morning rituals and have the place almost to yourself before crowds arrive.

The iconic 13-metre bronze statue of Amida Buddha, cast in 1252 and sitting outdoors in the temple grounds. Pay to enter, but the statue is visible from outside.

🕐 8am-5:30pm (summer), 8am-5pm (winter)

💡 Go at 7am when the gate opens—fewer people, and the morning light hits the Buddha's face perfectly. Skip the interior; it's cramped and dark.

A covered pedestrian street leading from the station to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Packed with small shops selling kamakura vegetables, fresh fish crackers, and matcha desserts. Entry-free, but bring cash for snacks.

🕐 Shops generally 10:00–18:00 (some close Wednesdays)

💡 Skip the chain stores near the station; head halfway down where you’ll find Kamakura-bori lacquerware workshop (free to watch) and a tiny soba shop. The kamakura-imo (sweet potato) ice cream is a must-try, 350 yen.

A unique shrine where you wash coins in a sacred spring, believed to multiply your money. It's set in a small cave behind a tunnel — atmospheric and not too touristy.

🕐 9am-4pm (shrine office); cave always accessible.

💡 Bring a handful of small coins to wash; it's considered bad luck to wash large bills. Go mid-afternoon for the best light in the cave.

A hillside temple known for its thousands of stone Jizo statues, a terrace with ocean views, and a large wooden Kannon statue. Entry fee is 400 yen.

🕐 8am-5pm (last entry 4.30pm).

💡 The 100-yen 'porcelain blessing' circuit on the lower slope is a quiet, meditative alternative to the main path.

A 13.35-metre bronze statue of Amida Buddha outdoors since 1252. The iconic landmark costs 300 yen to enter the grounds; 20 yen more to go inside the hollow statue.

🕐 Daily 8:00–17:30 (April–September); 8:00–17:00 (October–March)

💡 Buy your ticket from the vending machine to skip the queue. Go early—by 10am it’s packed with tour groups. Pay the 20 yen to go inside; it’s cramped but gives you a feel for the casting.

A hillside temple with a wooden terrace offering one of Kamakura's best views of the coast and the city. Inside, a 9-metre gilded statue of Kannon and a cave tunnel with carved images.

🕐 8am-5pm (closes 5:30pm in summer)

💡 Buy a ticket for the bamboo garden (additional ¥300)—it's small but serene, and fewer tourists bother. Head up the elevator (free with entry) instead of the stairs if it's hot.

Kamakura’s most important Shinto shrine, founded in 1063. Walk up the wide approach lined with cherry trees and see the main hall, dance stage, and museum (paid).

🕐 Daily 5:00–20:30 (grounds); museum 9:30–16:00 (closed Mondays)

💡 Arrive at 6am to see morning prayers and the grounds without crowds. The museum is free on the first Saturday of each month.

Kamakura's main Shinto shrine, founded in 1063, with a grand approach lined with cherry trees and a wide staircase leading up to the main hall. The grounds include a museum (small fee) and a peace bell.

🕐 Grounds open 24 hours; museum 9am-4pm

💡 Arrive just before 8am to see the morning ceremony and avoid the crowds. The rear bamboo grove is quieter than the main path.

The oldest Zen training monastery in Japan, built in 1253, with a massive main gate, a serene dry garden, and a dragon mural on the ceiling of the lecture hall.

🕐 8:30am-4:30pm

💡 The attached Zen garden has a karesansui (rock garden) that's often empty by 4pm. Walk up the hill behind the temple for a wooded trail linking to other temples.

The oldest Zen training monastery in Japan, founded in 1253. Its great gate, dragon ceiling, and Zen garden are open to the public for 300 yen. The main hall has a famous painting of a dragon.

🕐 Daily 8:30–16:30

💡 Sit on the wooden veranda of the Butsuden hall—the stillness is remarkable. The temple is quieter than Tsurugaoka and you can often watch monks doing zazen (free, 6am).

The iconic bronze Amida Buddha, over 13 metres tall and cast in 1252. It sits outdoors in the temple grounds, a short walk from Hase Station. Entry fee is 300 yen.

🕐 8am-5pm (until 5.30pm from April to September).

💡 You can go inside the statue for an extra 20 yen — it's cramped but interesting to see the interior casting marks.

A hillside Jodo sect temple with a wooden Kannon statue, a cave of carved Buddhas, and a terrace overlooking Kamakura’s coast. Entry is 300 yen. The views alone are worth it.

🕐 Daily 8:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)

💡 Visit on a weekday afternoon when the light hits the garden. Skip the paid pagoda climb—the free terrace gives the same view. The cave (Benten-kutsu) is cool and often overlooked.

A Nichiren temple with a large, serene Japanese garden featuring a pond and carefully raked gravel. The main hall is closed to public, but the garden is free and usually very quiet.

🕐 Garden open 24 hours; temple office 9am-4pm.

💡 Sit on the wooden veranda of the rear building for a long, quiet view of the garden — no one will rush you.

A long sandy beach on Sagami Bay, popular for swimming in summer and surf in autumn. Lifeguards in July-August; the rest of the year it's a quiet walking stretch with views of Enoshima island.

🕐 Open 24 hours (swimming season June-September, 9am-5pm)

💡 Walk east from the main beach to the quieter stretch near Inamuragasaki Park. Bring a towel—deckchair rentals are overpriced. Best for sunset around 5pm in winter.