Kamakura, a coastal city located in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is 50 minutes away down south of Tokyo. I would say it is perfect for all travellers who love historical sites and have been to Tokyo numerous time like me. Little do you know, although Kamakura looks rather small compare to popular mega urban cities like Tokyo and Osaka, it is one of the most important medieval political cities back in the days of Kamakura Period. Kamakura is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Japan, so its being said, every corner of Kamakura is rich in history and culture.

How to go?

The easiest and the most popular option to head to this scenic city would be by train. You can easily take train (with or without JR pass) from Tokyo station or Shinbashi station (like me) head straight to Kamakura Station via JR Yokosuka Line heading towards Zushi direction. It costs 920Yen (USD$8.50) one way. If you love natural green scenery like I do, you would enjoy the ride on the way to Kamakura.

Where to go?

I would strongly recommend to visit the tourist information centre before you start off. I got a pretty good deal with a one day transportation pass which costs around 570yen (USD$5). Also, the staffs recommended me to do the hiking trails if I have time.

Hokoku-ji (報国寺)

I always been thinking, if one day Kamigakushi/Spirited away ( in Japanese belief, if a person, usually kids or women, is mysteriously passed away or disappeared, it is belief that he/she was taken away by Gods) ever happened to me, it will definitely happen at a sacred yet eerie place like the bamboo garden in Hōkoku-ji. I always love spending time in Zen temples, thus I spent a good 3 hours here, enjoying cups after cups of matcha at the teahouse while listening to the birds chirping and letting my mind wander in the bamboo forest.

Sugimoto-dera Temple (杉本寺)

The oldest temple in Kamakura, and it takes around 10 minutes walk from Hōkoku-ji. According to the guide book, it was building enshrining a statue of eleven-headed Kannon (觀音) as the main object of worship.

Komachi-dori Street （鎌倉小町通り)

In such a quiet city like Kamakura, Komachi-dori considered as the most happening street. It has lots of different cuisine in Komachi-dori. Strange enough, I found good reviews about having French and Italian cuisine in Kamakura. I was about to try the infamous Tamagoyaki in Omelette Ozawa, but unfortunately they were closed on the day I visit. So I visited the other restaurant around the corner and had lunch.

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Kotoku-in (高徳院)

It is probably the most popular tourist site in Kamakura, it is well known if the Great Buddha which is 11.31 meters and weight about 121 tons. The Kamakura Daibutsu is the only statue of Buddha in Kamakura the is designated as a national treasure. It is now placed outdoor after the Daitbusu-den building was destroyed by earthquakes and tsunamis.

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Others

Strolling along the streets in Kamakura is also the fun thing I like to do, especially it is now in season of hydrangeas (紫陽花), from early June to mid July. It is definitely the best chance to take a lot of instagrammable photos 😛 Ah, I need to travel with a travel buddy who can take photos of me!

Plan to Enoshima

I wanted to cover Enoshima on this trip as well, but the weather was too bad, so I decided to save it for next time.

Before I finished up this post, do let me know what you think about my itinerary or share with me if you did visit any of these places that I recommended. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. And there you go, this is my 24 hours in Kamakura, I guess that’s all for today and hope I will update again in the near future. Peace xx