Exploring Kamakura and Hase (Japan) in a day!

 

Following my stay in Tokyo, I spent two nights in the Kamakura area and it was the perfect palate cleanser before continuing my trip to the Chūbu region. Visiting Kamakura feels like a vacation, whilst you’re on vacation! It’s right by the sea and has an adorable seaside railway, alongside lots of peaceful temples and shrines. And of course, no visit is complete without visiting the Great Buddha of Kōtoku-in!

Whilst you might have to sacrifice some of the temples at Kamakura, you can absolutely see both Kamakura and Hase in a day. If you want to visit Enoshima as well though you’ll need an extra morning or afternoon to fully enjoy it (I’ve written a short section on the highlights of Enoshima below!)

Kamakura and Hase are less than an hour from Tokyo, making it an easy day trip if you’re short on time. I’ve listed all of the places below in my Hase and Kamakura google map to help you with your planning!

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Where to stay

It doesn’t really matter whether you stay at Hase or Kamakura – both places are five minutes away from one other on the Enoden railway. 

There wasn’t a huge amount of accommodation available in Kamakura for the dates I was there so I ended up staying in Hase at the Guesthouse ShibaFu, which was close to the beach. I ended up preferring the small-town vibe of Hase so I’m glad I stayed there!

Hase

Although it’s a rather small place there is lots to see in Hase.

Explore a 700+ year old temple

As you approach the temple of Hasedera you can’t miss the entrance with its dark wood frame and red lantern, although as you can see it was gold when I visited in celebration of the temple’s 1300th(!) birthday.

 

It costs 400 Yen (£2.50/ $3) to enter and is well worth it. There are lots to things to see as you walk around, including a large pond filled with koi carp, hundreds of jizo statues (below) and trees with beautiful foliage.

After climbing some steps you reach the temple building itself, which houses a large wooden buddha statue covered in gold leaf, similar to the statue at Todai-ji, in Nara. If that wasn’t enough there’s also a small cave! It contains bas-reliefs and statues dedicated to Benzaiten, one of the seven lucky gods.

If you’re peckish after wandering around, there’s also a café and restaurant on site. 

In advance of your visit it’s worth visiting the english version of the site, which tells you which flowers are in bloom and which special goshuin you can purchase.

 

Watch the trains go by at Goryo shrine

Five minutes from Hasedera (or indeed, Hase station) is Goryo shrine. This shrine is famous for its hydrangeas which bloom in early Summer.

At Goryo you can stand next to the level crossing and watch the Enoden trains go by, which is a rather lovely experience as the railway itself is at ground level, and it’s a heritage train too (the railway celebrated its 120th Anniversary in 2022). It looks like it could come straight out of a Ghibli movie – in fact I’m fairly certain that the Enoden railway was the inspiration for the trains in Spirited Away.

 

 

See the Giant Buddha at Kotoku-in

One of the most classic images of the Kamakura area is of the Great Buddha of Kotoku-in – and rightly so!

 

The Great Buddha sits in the courtyard of Kotoku-in temple, which costs 300 Yen to enter (around £2.50/$3). If you want to enter the interior of the statue it will cost you an additional 50 Yen. Unfortunately due to COVID restrictions it wasn’t open when I visited. 

The statue stands (well, sits) at over 11 metres tall and is made of bronze, which has oxidised to the green colour you see now. I learned a lot later how they created the statue of Buddha. It’s actually super interesting- you can take a look here!

I would recommend going early before all the crowds of tourists arrive as it does slightly detract from the peaceful intention of the space. When I visited there were loads of tourists chatting away and taking photos with the phone camera shutter sound most definitely not on mute. I did wonder what Buddha would make of it all.

Kamakura

There was more I could have done in Kamakura, however I’d had enough of the crowds and had seen what I had wanted to see, so after visiting the below I returned to Hase.

Pick up some souvenirs on Komachidori shopping street

This traditional street leading from the train station to Tsurugaoka Hachimangū shrine has plenty of gift shops and restaurants (I had some fantastic oyakodon and kake soba at a cosy restaurant called Minemoto), and there are lots of food stands selling sushi and green tea ice cream to eat there and then.

 

The shops here sell items such as bags, jewellery, food items and tenugui. If you’re wondering what tenugui are, these are decorative pieces of cotton cloth which have multiple uses. Some people (like myself) use these as decorative wall-hangings, although they can also be used to wrap presents or used as a thin towel to dry your hands.

There’s a shop close to the station called Donguri Kyowakoku selling Studio Ghibli products, a must-visit if you’re a fan. I also really like B-Side Label’s merchandise and there’s a shop here that sells a much wider range than what is usually available in Loft or Tokyu Hands.

 

Climb the steps of Tsurugaoka Hachimangū shrine

This massive shrine was constructed in 1063 and relocated in 1191, and is the most important shrine in the city. The walkway to the shrine itself is long, giving great views of the main shrine building which is up a series of steps. The view from the main shrine building itself is pretty good, too!

There was a wedding going on when I was there and it was interesting to hear the traditional music and of course, see the happy couple. 

If you’re lucky enough to be there at the right time, you might get to see one of Tsurugaoka Hachimangū’s various festivals. These include the release of fireflies in June, the Tanabata festival in July where colourful streamers are displayed around the shrine, and the Yabusame ritual in September where you might get to see some archery on horseback!

 A final note on Enoshima

I cover Enoshima more fully here but this was one of the absolute highlights of my trip. Enoshima is around 30 minutes away from Hase/ Kamakura and you can easily spend an afternoon exploring this lovely island. It very much caters for tourists without being tacky, and it has lots of things you can do, from viewing the bay from the sea candle observation point, exploring sea caves by candlelight, and eating delicious french toast. There’s also a shrine and a temple to see, and there are lots of places to eat and drink.