
Kamakura
・Famous Great Buddha that you can enter
・Enjoy hydrangeas and the sea
【City description】
Kamakura, located in Kanagawa Prefecture, is a historic town that was once the site of the shogunate and has many temples remaining. It is also famous as a beach. Here we will introduce a model itinerary that will take you to all of these places on the popular Enoden (Enoshima Electric Railway).
【Overall rating】
★★★★★
【Time required】
3 h 30
【Budget】
1500 yen
【Fatigue】
★★★☆☆
Other oneday trip plans in Kamakura
What is Enoden?

First, let’s introduce the Enoden, which will be the mode of transportation for this model itinerary. Enoshima Electric Railway, also known as Enoden, began operation in 1902 and is a line that connects Kamakura Station to Fujisawa Station. There are 15 stations over a distance of about 10 km, but when it first started operation only went from Fujisawa Station to Enoshima Station. The green carriages with yellow window frames are famous, but there are also trains of other colors. Another highlight is that the panel on the front with the destination written on it has a different design depending on the season, such as Christmas or New Year. The Enoshima Electric Railway is not only a convenient means of transportation to visit the tourist attractions that we will introduce below, but one of its charms is the different scenery that it shows depending on the section.
For sightseeing, it’s a good idea to buy a one-day pass called Noriorikun (800 yen). You can buy it at the ticket machine, but you can also buy it as an e-ticket on your smartphone.
For more information, please see here.
Enoden Officiel Site
https://www.enoden.co.jp/en/tourism/ticket/noriorikun/
Itinerary Map
Navigation
【Start】①Kamakura Station
★Route time required:15 min
Take the Enoshima Electric Railway from Kamakura Station and get off at Hase Station. From Kamakura Station, this section runs through residential areas, and in some places it runs right next to private homes. When you get off the train at Hase Station, cross the railroad crossing and continue straight ahead. There is a gate in the middle of the trees on your right, so go inside.
★Route time required:5 min
Go back the way you came and turn right at the first intersection with traffic lights, and you will see a gate at the end.
★Route time required:10 min
Return to the intersection with the traffic lights, turn right, and turn right onto the road opposite the candy store with the blue sign. Continue straight and you will reach Goryo Shrine at the end. Turn left and exit the shrine and you will come to a railroad crossing.
★Route time required:10 min
Cross the railroad crossing and continue straight ahead. Turn right at the end of the road and continue straight until you start to walk uphill and you will see a cemetery on your left. Go up the stairs and through the gate to reach your next destination.
★Route time required:5 min
Go down the steps and onto the road, then go left. When you reach a fork in the road, cross the bridge on your right, turn left immediately and walk along the tracks until you see a gate on your right.
★Route time required:15 min
Go back down the road, cross the bridge, turn right and go down the hill to reach Gokurakuji Station. From here, take the train to Fujisawa Station. After passing the next station, Inamuragasaki Station, the train will run along the sea with a great view. Get off at Kamakurakokomae Station and follow the road until you reach the famous railroad crossing.
★Route time required:20 min
We will take the Enoden again and head for Fujisawa Station. From the next station, Koshigoe Station, to Enoshima Station, we will take the streetcar. If you have time, we recommend sightseeing in Enoshima. From Enoshima Station to Fujisawa Station, you will walk through residential areas, just like at the beginning.
⑧Fujisawa Station
Click the square mark on the top left of the map to see a list of tourist spots. If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information. You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).
【Start】
①Kamakura Station
This model course introduces the route from Kamakura Station to Fujisawa Station. If you depart from Fujisawa Station, the order will be reversed.
For tourist information around Kamakura Station, please see here.
★Route time required:15 min
Take the Enoshima Electric Railway from Kamakura Station and get off at Hase Station. From Kamakura Station, this section runs through residential areas, and in some places it runs right next to private homes. When you get off the train at Hase Station, cross the railroad crossing and continue straight ahead. There is a gate in the middle of the trees on your right, so go inside.
②Kotoku-in Temple

Time required : 30 min
Admission fee:300 yen
Opening hour:8 am – 5h30 pm
(until 5 pm from October to March)
Close:No
This Jodo sect temple enshrines the national treasure, the Seated Amida Nyorai statue, and is famous for its outdoor Great Buddha. This gigantic Buddha, 13.35m tall including the pedestal, and weighing 121t, was once covered in gold leaf. Although it is now outdoors, it was once inside a building, but was moved outside after the building collapsed due to strong winds and earthquakes. As proof of this, 53 megaliths thought to be foundation stones have been discovered. You can also enter the Great Buddha for 50 yen, making it a rare place where you can see what is inside the Buddha.
Another huge pair of straw sandals measuring 1.8m in length are displayed in the corridor. They were donated by children from Matsuei-cho, Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, shortly after the war, with the hope that the Great Buddha would walk around Japan to bring happiness to people. They are donated every three years. The Niomon Gate that you pass on the way in was moved from another location along with the Nio statues in the early 18th century, and on the premises there is a monument to a poem by Yosano Akiko that describes the Great Buddha as a handsome man.
Also, the Kangetsudo Hall, located at the end of the corridor behind the Great Buddha, was originally a building from the Korean royal palace in Seoul, but was donated by the president of the Yamaichi Limited Partnership Company, which owned it. Inside is enshrined a statue of the Bodhisattva Kannon that was owned by Tokugawa Hidetada.
★Route time required:5 min
Go back the way you came and turn right at the first intersection with traffic lights, and you will see a gate at the end.
③Hasedera Temple

Time required : 40 min
Admission fee:400 yen
Opening hour:8 am – 4h30 pm
(until 5 pm from April to June)
Close:No
This temple is famous as a hydrangea temple. There are 2,500 hydrangeas of 40 varieties planted on the observation walkway which offers a panoramic view of the sea and town of Yuigahama. In addition to hydrangeas, various other flowers can be seen throughout the year, and it is said to represent the Pure Land to the west of Kamakura.
The main image, the eleven-headed Kannon Bodhisattva, is 9.18 meters tall and is the largest wooden Buddha in Japan. Tokumichi, who built this Kannon statue, created two eleven-headed Kannon statues, one of which was placed in Hasedera Temple in Nara Prefecture and the other was cast into the sea. 15 years later, the one found in the sea off Kamakura was enshrined at this temple. As oyster shells had protected the statue during its drift, Hasedera Temple has an oyster shell inari shrine and a rare oyster shell votive tablet.
In addition, the Kannon Museum, which renovated the Treasure Hall in 2015, displays many Kannon statues, including the Daikokufu statue, the oldest sacred statue in eastern Japan, as well as temple bells and picture scrolls. The seated Amida Nyorai statue enshrined in the Amida Hall was made by Minamoto no Yoritomo as a prayer for protection from misfortune when he was 42 years old. It was moved from the now-defunct Seiganji Temple and is one of the Roku Amida statues in Kamakura. Another must-see is the Nagomi Jizo, with its gentle, soothing face.
★Route time required:10 min
Return to the intersection with the traffic lights, turn right, and turn right onto the road opposite the candy store with the blue sign. Continue straight and you will reach Goryo Shrine at the end. Turn left and exit the shrine and you will come to a railroad crossing.
④Gokuraku-ji Temple Tunnel

Time required : 5 min
This is the Enoshima Electric Railway’s only tunnel and is a popular photo spot when the hydrangeas bloom.
★Route time required:10 min
Cross the railroad crossing and continue straight ahead. Turn right at the end of the road and continue straight until you start to walk uphill and you will see a cemetery on your left. Go up the stairs and through the gate to reach your next destination.
⑤Joju-in Temple

Time required : 20 min
Admission fee:Donation
Opening hour:8 am – 5 pm
(until 4h30 pm from November to March)
Close:No
This temple is famous for its matchmaking and enshrines Acala. There are two entrances, one on the east side and one on the west side, but they are connected to one entrance, and the Yuigahama beach from the stairs is a must-see. It was once a famous hydrangea temple with 262 hydrangeas planted, but they were donated to Minamisanriku Town in Miyagi Prefecture and instead, the prefecture’s flower, the bush clover, was planted.
This is the place where Kukai practiced chanting mantras 1 million times over 100 days during his pilgrimage, and about 400 years later, in 1219, Hojo Yasutoki built it in prayer for the prosperity of the Hojo clan.
Beyond the mountain gate is a cute frog statue with its tongue sticking out, called Nadegaeru, which is said to bring good hearts and happiness, and stroking it will bring you good fortune.
★Route time required:5 min
Go down the steps and onto the road, then go left. When you reach a fork in the road, cross the bridge on your right, turn left immediately and walk along the tracks until you see a gate on your right.
⑥Gokuraku-ji Temple

Time required : 30 min
Admission fee:Donation
Opening hour:9 am – 4h30 pm
Close:No
This is a Shingon Buddhist temple with Shaka Nyorai as its principal image. It was built by Ninsho after he was ordered by the shogunate and imperial court to pray for the retreat of the Mongol invasions. However, contrary to its name, this place was once called Jigokudani, a place where dead bodies and people with nowhere to go gathered. Nevertheless, it was a huge temple with 49 temples, but due to repeated wars, fires, earthquakes, etc., only the main hall remains today.
There was also a hospital, and in front of the main hall are the stone bowls and stone mills that Ninsho used to make medicine. There is also a cherry tree planted by Hojo Tokimune, which is a mixture of single-petaled and double-petaled cherry trees. Various materials are on display in the treasure museum (admission fee 300 yen).
★Route time required:15 min
Go back down the road, cross the bridge, turn right and go down the hill to reach Gokurakuji Station. From here, take the train to Fujisawa Station. After passing the next station, Inamuragasaki Station, the train will run along the sea with a great view. Get off at Kamakurakokomae Station and follow the road until you reach the famous railroad crossing.
⑦Kamakura High School Station Crossing

Time required : 5 min
This railroad crossing, with the sea in the background, appeared in the manga Slam Dunk. It is famous not only in Japan but also overseas, and people from overseas come to see this place. Please be careful not to get in the way of other people when viewing.
★Route time required:20 min
We will take the Enoden again and head for Fujisawa Station. From the next station, Koshigoe Station, to Enoshima Station, we will take the streetcar. If you have time, we recommend sightseeing in Enoshima. From Enoshima Station to Fujisawa Station, you will walk through residential areas, just like at the beginning.

Check out this site for sightseeing in Enoshima!!
【Goal】
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