Kamakura was where the first samurai government was established in 1185. The city is surrounded by hills on three sides and faces the ocean. Kamakura boasts a lot of historic religious buildings, which harmonize with the surrounding nature. It's about one hour away from Tokyo by train. This tour visits famous Great Buddha of Kotoku-in temple, Hase-dera temple, and Zeniarai-benzaiten shrine, where your money could increase if you wash it in the spring water, and lastly Komachi shopping street.
At your hotel
The temple was originally founded to enshrine the Eleven-headed Kannon statue, but also it boasts many other Buddha statues and a beautiful garden. It is known as a flower temple.
The origin of the Great Buddha is unknown but it has sat there for more than 700 years. The Buddha has survived in its original form though the Buddha hall collapsed by natural disasters and was never rebuilt. The Buddha is designated as a National Treasure.
Legend has it that the shrine was established to enshrine Shinto deities in a valley where supernatural spring water gushes out. It is believed if you use bills and coins that have been washed in the spring water, the money could become many times and come back to you. It's worth trying!
The street is lined with gift shops and snack stalls. There are so many good things drawing your attention, an ice cream with red bean jam, Kamakura sausages, a meat bun and so on.
Your hotel or your nearest station
In this tour to Kamakura, I would like you to enjoy the harmony between religious buildings and beautiful nature. The beauty of the city is protected by a landscape ordinance. Kamakura has unique ambience that is different from Tokyo or even Kyoto. It is the best place for one-day trip to find something new.
Guide fee, hotel pick-up.
Your transportation fee and guide's (about ￥1,200 per person), your entrance fees for Hase temple (￥500) and Kotoku-in temple (￥300). Your lunch.
I can guide you in the metropolitan area including Tokyo and Kanagawa every day as long as I am available.
Nothing special.
After visiting Great Buddha, we will walk 25min to reach Zeniarai-benzaiten shrine. Unfortunately, there is no transport to get there. And also, from the shrine to the next destination Komachi street, walk 20min. If you do not prefer walking so long, we will visit Tsurugaoka-Hachimangu shrine as a substitute. Its vermillion sanctuary is beautiful. The deities worshipped in the shrine were guardians of the Kamakura government.
Masako was fantastic in helping us navigate our way around Tokyo on our first day. We efficiently got to each location and Masako explained the history and culture which we would have missed without her. Masako also answered all of our questions which really set us up for the rest of the week. Can’t thank you enough Masako, you were so kind and helpful, it really made our stay wonderful. Have a wonderful new year and we look forward to visiting Japan again soon.
Hello Alan, Thank you very much for your kind comment. I am glad to hear you enjoyed our tour and had a wonderful week in Tokyo. It is my great pleasure if I would give you any help with your stay in Tokyo. I also thank you for your cooperation and patience during the tour. I was impressed you always followed me in an orderly line when moving in crowds. It was a big help to me and I easily guided you. I appreciate it. Please give my best regards to your wife and daughters. May the new year bring you and your family happiness! Kind regards, Masako
Masako-san was very knowledgeable, patient and punctual. A learnt alot from our tour and hope to engage her service in the future when I return to Tokyo with my family. Iroiro arigato gozaimashita.
Dear Waqas, Thank you very much for your lovely comment. I appreciate it. You are enthusiastic about Japanese history and culture, which helped me a lot to operate the tour. I was impressed that you understand cultural difference and show respect for other cultures. Please come back to Japan. I look forward to meeting your family. Kind regards, Masako
Masako was a lovely guide. She provided interesting background information about the places we visited and life in Japan in general. She was also curious and inquisitive, so we had some nice conversation throughout our time together. Additionally, Masako was flexible and enabled us to extend our time in certain places as well as helped us make some purchases at the market.
Dear Brook, Thank you very much for your lovely comment. I appreciate it. I am glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. I was impressed you are well versed in our culture though it was your first visit to Japan. I was also moved you make every effort to pursue a better life. Your diet is a good example for me to follow! Thank you very much again. Kind regards, Masako
Communication was great from the start. She provided suggestions or options for my kids. She was early for both meeting times. Very knowledgeable and informed about the tours and we learned quite a bit. I would definitely use her again for a guide in Tokyo even if not for the visa requirements.
Hello David, Thank you very much for your kind words. I am very glad to hear you and your family enjoyed the tours. I was impressed all of you are friendly and warm-hearted, and besides your children are cooperative and patient. Thank you for pleasant chatting. I very much enjoyed having been with you. Please come back to Tokyo some day in the near future and have conger eel sushi in Tsukiji! I thank you again for hiring me. Kind regards, Masako