About Kamakura

What Kind of Place Is Kamakura?

Take an in-depth tour of Kamakura’s history and attractions, along with its temples and shrines

When you think of Japan, what city comes to mind? Tokyo? Osaka or Kyoto? What about Nara? Don’t forget that the relaxed and peaceful city of Kamakura lies just a short distance from Tokyo. Kamakura enjoys a mild climate and is one of Japan’s oldest cities, possessing famous sites on par with those of the ancient cities of Nara and Kyoto. The city is also surrounded by mountains on three sides and looks out to the sea on the fourth, creating a place where the mountains, sea, history, and culture exist in harmony. Thanks to the sea and mountains, you can find freshly caught seafood from the Pacific Ocean and crisp local vegetables wherever you look.

Location

Getting to Kamakura is a breeze, taking only about two hours from Narita Airport or one hour from Haneda Airport. Another positive is that visitors can easily take a day trip here from Tokyo. Additionally, Kamakura is close to Yokohama, Japan’s second largest city (featuring its Chinatown and other great spots), and offers great access to the hot spring resort of Hakone as well as Mt. Fuji.
Why not visit Kamakura, a former capital of Japan with a rich historical heritage, a gorgeous sea, and majestic mountains?

History and Culture

Kamakura is an ancient city that gave rise to its own unique culture. One of Japan’s former capitals alongside Nara and Kyoto, Kamakura was also the birthplace of the country’s first samurai government, the Kamakura shogunate (1185–1333).
Kamakura’s samurai regularly honed their skills in martial arts so that they would always be prepared for the battlefield. Items related to samurai warrior culture, such as elaborate armor, famed swords, and hanging scrolls depicting battles were brought to Kamakura from all across Japan. Yabusame, the art of shooting three arrows successively while riding a horse, also originated in Kamakura. These days, you can still see yabusame practiced at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine as a Shinto ritual.

12~13th century

After Yoritomo’s death, the Hojo clan took control of the area. In the 13th century, trade with the Chinese Song and Yuan dynasties flourished, which brought in a variety of Chinese cultural practices, including Zen Buddhism, Zen-style architecture, Buddhist statues, and lacquerware.
Accordingly, the samurai who established the Kamakura shogunate actively adopted Chinese culture, with a strong focus on Zen Buddhism, in the process of building a political structure and bolstering power. This gave rise to samurai warrior culture. Buddhist temples in Kamakura at the time were not only for memorial services—they also served as places for samurai families to undergo spiritual and moral training and acquire learning and culture. Cultural practices such as painting, sculpting, and the tea ceremony were also cultivated there.
The spirit of Zen in particular seems to have been part of the Kamakura samurai ethos, greatly influencing Kamakura’s culture and permeating the cultural landscape to this day. In recent years, mindfulness has been attracting attention across the globe, and its connection to Zen is not being overlooked.
14~18th century

While the Kamakura shogunate ended in 1333, the samurai warrior culture at the time—a fusion of the unadorned fortitude of the samurai and the Song and Yuan cultures of China—continues to have a significant impact on modern Japanese society.
Since the 19th century

Since the 19th century, Kamakura has gained prominence for its beaches, resorts, and holiday homes, with renowned literary figures also migrating to the area. Many tourists are still brought to Kamakura today, enthralled by the endless natural vistas of its sea and rolling green hills.

See List of Shrines & Temples See List of Historical sites

Experiences

In Kamakura, you can take part in zazen (seated Zen meditation), Kamakurabori* carving, Japanese tea ceremony, kimono wearing, water sports, and many other unique experiences. Zen culture, which was introduced to Japan from China during the Kamakura period (1185–1333), has taken root in the daily lives of modern Japanese people in the forms of meditation, green tea, vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, Kamakurabori carving, and the like. Through these experiences, you will be able to grasp their rich history.

*Kamakurabori: A type of carved lacquerware. This art form is a descendent of the skills of busshi, artists who once carved Buddhist statues. The tradition has been passed down and updated for the present day with the carving of everyday items.

Explore Experiences

Townscape

The entire city offers views in which the mountains and sea, history and culture, and nature exist in harmony. The area stretching from JR Kamakura Station to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine features avenues lined with souvenir shops and restaurants, namely, the streets of Komachi and Wakamiya Oji. Running along the coastline, the Enoden is known as one of the best sightseeing trains in Japan. Since the townscape is concentrated in a relatively small area, overtourism from tourists gathering in certain sections of the city has become a challenge. There are also many places where you can look out and see Mt. Fuji, including scenic spots in Inamuragasaki Park and along the Ten-en Hiking Course.

Specialties

Savor seasonal cuisine full of delicious local ingredients
Kamakura has many places to eat and drink, from restaurants specializing in local seafood and Kamakura vegetables to izakaya pubs, cafés built in traditional Japanese-style houses, bakeries, and places serving regional cuisine like French, Italian, or Chinese fare. This page provides information on typical dishes and fine cuisine you can try in Kamakura.

Vegetarian Buddhist cuisine

This style of cooking does not use seafood or meat, instead focusing on grains and vegetables. The Japanese-style dishes are created based on the Buddhist precepts of avoiding the killing of living creatures and suppressing worldly desires.
Shirasu (Whitebait)

One specialty of Kamakura is shirasu, whitebait from Japanese anchovies and sardines caught in Sagami Bay. Besides eating them raw, a popular way to enjoy shirasu is to top rice with boiled shirasu, creating a dish known as shirasu don.
Kamakura vegetables

Cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, daikon radishes, Welsh onions, garden-grown arugula, basil, and many other types of produce are grown in Kamakura and its surrounding areas. They are often used in home cooking, in addition to being served at restaurants both inside and outside Kamakura.
Wagashi (Japanese sweets)

Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets commonly made from ingredients such as adzuki beans, grains like rice and wheat, fruit, and agar. They are usually enjoyed with a cup of green tea.