Just over an hour from Tokyo, you can visit an ancient capital with a completely different history.
Kamakura was a town that became the center of politics under Minamoto no Yoritomo in the 12th century. Kamakura is a town of samurai, and Zen was also loved by the samurai. Kamakura is also the city where Zen Buddhism was brought to Japan and widely spread.
Why not walk me through Kamakura, a town nurtured by history and culture?
Shinagawa Station
- At the triangle clock of the central Entrance of JR Shinagawa station,
Board the Yokosuka Line from Shinagawa to Kita Kamakura station.
Just a short walk after getting off at Kita-Kamakura Station, you will find Engakuji Temple. It is a temple of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism, which ranks second in the Kamakura Gozan. They founded it in 1282. There are two national treasures: Shariden and Hongjong.
Jochiji Temple is a quaint old temple at the top of long stone steps. Founded in the second half of the 13th century
At this time, the Hojo clan was powerful and Zen Buddhism spread widely.
Famous for its hydrangeas, the area is well-known for its 2,500 hydrangeas. They founded it in the middle of the 12th century. Nowadays, we can enjoy ourselves watching many flowers in each season, transporting us to a peaceful world. Strolling through the dry landscape garden, tea room, and stone-paved approach is fun.
It is the first of the Kamakura Gozan and Japan's first full-fledged Zen temple. They founded it in 1253. The pure and strict Zen of the Song Dynasty was brought to Japan as it was when the high priest Ranki Daolong was invited from China (Song Dynasty) at the time. In addition to the temple bell, which is a national treasure, you can also enjoy the garden as well as important cultural properties such as the Sanmon Gate, Buddha Hall, and Karamon Gate.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, built by Minamoto no Yoritomo, who founded the Kamakura Shogunate, is one of the symbols of Kamakura. It is the guardian deity of Kamakura Bushi. In front of the shrine is the wide approach road, Wakamiya Oji. Yabusame, held at the annual autumn festival, is especially famous.
There are many popular restaurants around Kamakura Station. Now, what kind of lunch should we have? You'll get lost.
French Fierte
Bistro Homme Kamakura
Hamburger Wonderburg
Japanese food umi Kamakura
Bistro Orange
Chinese Kamakura food Shokuyuki
Take the Enoden train.
The Enoden train, which runs along the coast, is very popular with tourists because of its retro cars and the wonderful scenery from the windows.
Please come and enjoy the train.
It is said to have been built in the 8th century (actually it is said to have been built in the 13th century.) The principal image is an 11-faced Kannon Bodhisattva statue (9.18m) of the Jodo sect.
Also known as Hydrangea Temple, the hydrangeas are beautiful. There is also a viewing platform with a spectacular view of the ocean.
When you think of Kamakura, you think of the Great Buddha. The Amida Nyorai statue, a national treasure, is a must-see. You can go inside the Great Buddha for a little while. Please come and join us.
Originated from a cave on 552 islands One of Japan's three major Benzaiten (Miyajima in Aki, Chikubujima in Omi)
Sports such as swimming and surfing are popular in the summer
Shinagawa Station
Guide fees
Transportation fees, admission- fees, and meal fees during the tour. (for a guide)
Transportation fees per person are as follows,
JR train ( Shinagawa - Kitakamakura ¥736、Fujisawa- Shinagawa ¥770)and Enoden (Kamakura- Hase ¥200、Hase- Enoshima ¥260 、Enoshima-Fujisawa ¥220)
Total is ¥2,186.
Admission fee total ¥2,500
(Enkakuji, Jyochiji, Meigetu-in, Kenchoji, Koutoku-in and Enoshima sea candle )
Lunch for guide ¥1,000-2,500
* This tour involves a lot of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
* Please let me know in advance if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Meeting place, departure time, visiting places, etc. can be changed. I will consult with you. Please feel free to contact me.
“Introduction to Japan with Naoya”
We spent four wonderful days with Naoya exploring Japanese culture and history at various sites in and around Tokyo. Naoya was very knowledgeable and was able to easily explain this information in English. He was very professional, well prepared, and always on time. Because of his expertise we were able to come up with interesting itineraries over the four days we spent together. Restaurants suggested by him were great culinary experiences. The metro system in Tokyo can be very overwhelming so we were very thankful that he was able to make us feel comfortable using transit. We would not hesitate to recommend Naoya as your guide. He made our introduction to Japan a very fulfilling experience.
Naoya U.
(2 reviews)I was happy to spend four enjoyable days with you. Unfortunately, the weather was bad and it rained a lot. We couldn't get a good view of Mt. Fuji, which we were looking for. Also, the cherry blossoms had not yet bloomed, so we were unable to fully enjoy their beauty. However, I believe that the four of you were able to learn about some of the good things about Japan. I'm glad that you liked the meal. It seems that you will continue to travel around Japan after this, so I hope you will discover even more good things about Japan. Thank you very much for a truly enjoyable trip. Let's meet again. Take care. Naoya USUDA
“2 days with Naoya in Japan”
Nao , as he prefers to be called, is a true gentlemen. We contacted Nao thru 'Go with Guide' and were not sure what experience we would have, as we never used a personal guide. We were pleasantly surprised . We used his services for a 1 day Mt Fuji tour and a 6 hr tour of Yokohama. We discussed options of what to see and combined our ideas. He meet us at our hotel (15 minutes before our scheduled time) and escorted us for the day. Having his service made traveling much easier and more efficient. We would have spent days figuring out the subway and bus system. He also suggested the best options for traveling. He also took us to unique places for eating typical Japanese food. His english was very good, so no issues communicating. He also provided background of Japanese history during our tour. Nao came prepared with an excel spreadsheet of the sites and times. We would definitely use Nao again in the future.
Naoya U.
(2 reviews)Hi Bill & Diane. Thank you for your review. I remembered that fun trip and felt happy again. Fortunately, the trip was blessed with good weather. I am glad that you have such a good impression of Japan and me. Please come to Japan again. I hope to see you again.