If you have a free day and are looking for a place to spend your time meaningfully near Tokyo, I would advise you to go to the old Japanese capital Kamakura (鎌倉). I have visited Kamakura dozens of times. Whether friends or business partners come, this town is one of the most common choices to cool down a little bit from the pace of the big city.
It’s true that personally, the most memorable memory is not related to the Great Buddha sculpture or the tea with Pacific Ocean, on the coast of which the old capital is located, but the adventure related to the parking lot. A few years ago, an old roommate from the time of studies came to visit us together with his family from Norway. After much deliberation, we decided on Saturday that Kamakura would be perfect for our short trip. Good weather, ocean, historical and cultural objects – everything a true tourist needs. We left by our car.
As always, the original plan was to visit Hase Temple and the Great Buddha sculpture in the open air. When I arrived near the Hase station, I anxiously started looking for a place to park my car. One parking lot is occupied, the other is also occupied, the third and fourth are also full of cars. And here is enlightenment. I see several free parking spaces very close to our attractions. I drive the car into the parking space and look triumphantly at the passing cars. Now you are looking for a place to park your car.
After visiting the cultural places, we return to the parking lot after three hours. I press the parking meter button to calculate how much I owe and a number pops up in front of my eyes that makes me mention all the saints starting with Peter to sacred to Petra, my parking for a few hours is estimated at around 60 EUR. This is about half of the monthly rent I pay for parking my car near my house in Tokyo. Oh my Buddha! It was, and probably will remain, the most expensive parking fee I have ever had to pay in Japan. Since then, I carefully read the information boards of the parking lots every time, because I had never seen such a sight before.
So with parking adventures in mind, I would suggest the following itinerary for the average tourist in Kamakura.
From Shinjuku Station, take the JR Shonan–Shinjuku Line to Fujisawa Station. It will take you about one hour. When you arrive in Fujisawa, you will find nearby the Enoshima train line, which has become a symbol of Kamakura tourism. The Enoshima line is only 10 km long, and the track width is 1067 mm. The route includes a short (450m) street section between Koshigoe and Enoshima stations. The train line winds between the houses. With the window open, the house can almost be reached by hand in places. In addition, there is a small section where the train emerges near the Pacific Ocean. So when traveling from Fujisawa to Kamakura, try to sit on the right side of the train.
At the same time, I will mention that it would be most convenient to return from Kamakura station. What is famous about this ancient capital of Japan, which is located near Tokyo.
Kamakura was the capital of Japan from 1185 to 1333. During the Kamakura period, it became the most densely populated settlement in the country. Nowadays, Kamakura is a popular tourist destination as it is a coastal city with many seasonal festivals, as well as an abundance of ancient Buddhist and Shinto temples and other heritage sites.
Historians call the era of the Kamakura Shogunate “the Kamakura Period”, and although its end is clearly defined (1333), its beginning is uncertain. Different historians estimate the beginning of the Kamakura period differently.
According to some studies, in 1250 Kamakura was the fourth largest city in the world with a population of 200,000 and the largest city in Japan by 1200 overshadowing Kyoto. However, despite the fact that in 1185 In the battle of Dan-no-ura, Kamakura lost the political and military power based in Kyoto, the emperor was unable to free himself from Kamakura’s control.
Kotoku-in’s open-air Great Buddha
So when going from Fujisawa on the Enoshima line train, the stop where you need to get off is called Hase. This stop is quite close to the end of the train line. It will take twenty minutes to get there from Fujisawa.
After getting off at the Hase stop, you can walk with the tourists. Or you will need to go to the right side. The shopping street leads you to the Buddha, so don’t worry, you won’t get lost. At the end of the street, you will find Kotoku-in (高徳院), a Buddhism temple, waiting for you for about 15 minutes. The name of the temple itself does not say anything too much because all travelers call it the temple of the Great Buddha.
The Great Buddha of Kamakura is one of Japan’s most famous Buddha statues and a national treasure.
The Great Buddha of Kamakura, cast in the 13th century. Kamakura Great Buddha (鎌倉大仏, Kamakura Daibutsu) is a large bronze statue of Buddha located in the temple grounds. Including the base, its height is 13.35 m, and its weight is about 93 tons. The statue was built around 1252, during the Kamakura period.
The statue is hollow, so visitors can look inside. Visiting the inside of the statue costs money and to be honest, I really don’t recommend it, because you won’t see anything interesting. In ancient times, there were thirty-two bronze lotus petals at the bottom of the statue, but only four remain. The notice at the entrance to the territory reads: “Foreigner, whoever you are and whatever your religion, when you enter this sanctuary, remember that you are stepping on land consecrated by centuries of worship. It is the Buddha’s temple and the gate of eternity, so it should be entered with respect.”
The current bronze statue was preceded by a giant wooden Buddha statue that was completed in 1243. after ten years of continuous work. Wooden statue in 1248 was damaged by a storm and the hall in which it stood was destroyed, so it was proposed to make a new statue in bronze. A huge amount of money was raised for this project. In 1248 the bronze image was probably cast by the most famous casters of the time.
However, in 1334 the temple hall was destroyed by a storm. 1369 it was damaged by another storm, but was rebuilt again. 1498 September 20 The tsunami caused by the Nankai earthquake washed away all the buildings in the area, including the temple’s main hall where the statue stood. Since then, the Great Buddha has stood in the open air. Knowing the story about the tsunami and seeing how far the temple itself is from the ocean, one can only imagine what a destructive natural element tsunamis are.
For detail lovers, the basic measurements of the statue are as follows:
Weight: 121 t
Height: 13.35 m
Face length: 2.35 m
Eye length:: 1.0 m
Mouth length: 0.82 meters
Ear length: 1.90 m
Thumb circumference: 0.85 m
At the back of the temple there is a small park where you can sit down and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Hasedera Temple
After visiting the Great Buddha Temple, I would suggest heading back towards Hase Station, but before reaching the station there will be one of the main junctions where you need to turn right. After walking a few hundred meters, another masterpiece will be waiting for you.
Hase-dera (長谷寺) is the main temple of the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism. The main hall of the temple is a national treasure of Japan.
The temple was first built in 686 and dedicated to Emperor Tenmu. In 727, by order of Emperor Shomu, the temple was expanded, and a statue of the eleven-faced goddess Kannon was erected next to the original temple, which was commemorated by a bronze plaque. From the 10th century the temple was burned and rebuilt as many as ten times.
The current main hall dates back to 1650. reconstruction, the Temple is especially popular in spring, when 700 Chinese peonies bloom, which cover the stairs. Hasedera also looks spectacular in autumn, when the leaves of many maples growing on the temple grounds turn red.
Main hall (national treasure): In this hall stands the eleven-faced Kannon statue. It is said to be the largest wooden statue in Japan. Her faces consist of one main face and ten secondary faces, which are said to allow Kanon, the goddess of mercy, to see everything around her in case someone needs her help.
In the lower part of the temple, closer to the entrance, there is also a mountain-carved rock with various deities. Walking inside the rock is a very fun attraction.
There are many different objects in the temple, starting with cultural values, natural and man-made masterpieces, many different statues, etc.
After exploring the main hall, take your time to go down. On the other side, you will see a wonderful terrace where I would recommend you to sit down and drink your own coffee, eat an onigiri rice snack or a sandwich. The beautiful Kamukara Bay will open before your eyes on the terrace. View of the majestic Pacific Ocean. Just be careful, there are always falcons/hawks flying overhead, so don’t leave valuables on the table in your backpack, as your valuables can literally go to hell.
After going down, take your time from Hase Station to go directly to Kamakura Station. Instead, cross the railroad tracks and kneel by the Pacific Ocean. After all, it’s not every day that you get the chance to dip your feet in such a big puddle. Being by the ocean is a very invigorating experience, the waves and the gentle breeze clear your mind of all kinds of worries.
Kamakura Shopping Street and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Kamakura’s signature feature is Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, a Shinto shrine in the center of town. A 1.8 km long road leads directly from Sagami Bay to the temple. This road is known as Wakamiya Oji, the main street of the city.
About 100 meters from the second Torii begins the dankazura, an elevated path surrounded by cherry blossoms. This is the historical center of Kamakura. Dankazura gradually widens to make it appear longer than it actually is when viewed from the shrine.
The shrine is a 15-minute walk from Kamakura Station.
Although many tourist publications indicate that Hachimangu Shrine is one of the most visited sites, I personally would not recommend it too much. In my opinion, there are more shrines that are much more interesting. Instead, I would suggest walking around the Wakamiya Oji shopping street, enjoying some matcha ice cream, and looking for more interesting souvenirs.
