A day in Kamakura, the ‘Kyoto of Eastern Japan’

During my time in Tokyo, I escaped the hustle and bustle of packed trains and busy streets for a day in peaceful Kamakura. The city is famous for its landmark monument of the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), which is the second largest statue after Todaiji in Nara.

The star attraction of Kamakura.

Nicknamed the ‘Kyoto of Eastern Japan’ thanks to its many temples and shrines, Kamakura is highly recommended for those who can’t make the trip down to Kyoto or Nara.

Kamakura is easily accessible by train and takes less than an hour from Shinjuku Station. While tourists can get to the Daibutsu directly from Hase Station, I chose to get off a few stops earlier at Kita-Kamakura Station.

The benefit of starting here is exploring the temples, shrines and historical buildings on the way to the Daibutsu.

Engaku-ji

Founded in 1282, Engaku-ji is one of the most important Zen temples in Eastern Japan and it was built to honour Japanese and Mongolian soldiers who had died in a war between Japan and Mongolia.

Standing in front of the Sanmon (Main Gate).

The lovely scenery in Engaku-ji.

Tokei-ji

Located across the railway tracks from Engaku-ji is a temple that once served as a women’s refuge, and within the grounds is a large eerie cemetery.

The cemetery in Toke-ji.

Jochi-ji

Jochi-ji is another important Zen temple in Kamakura. I didn’t get a chance to visit the main hall that houses three Buddhist deities. However, I explored the garden and graveyard behind the hall where Hotei, the God of Happiness, resides.

The main hall in Jochi-ji.

Rubbing Hotei’s tummy.

Daibutsu Hiking Course

The three kilometre course starts at the steps of Jochiji. It’s not a difficult walk, though anyone doing it should wear decent shoes due to the slightly steep terrain.

The hiking trail

The walk goes through Genjiyama Park, which is a great place to have a quick break and take photos of the scenery.

There is also a shrine that contains an interesting ritual of throwing dishes at a rock, which symbolises overcoming various obstacles in life. Of course, each dish comes at a price.

Toss some pottery to rid yourself of evil influences in your life.

Daibutsu

The course ends on a main road and from there, it is a short walk to the actual site of the Daibutsu. I thankfully arrived before the sun went down (it gets dark quite early in Japan compared to Australia).

The Great Buddha of Kamakura.

The Daibutsu is awesome to look at and I think it is better than Nara’s Buddha.  Visitors can enter the Daibutsu for 20 yen but be prepared to wait a while because it attracts a lot of people. I wasn’t keen on it so I gave it a pass.

A long line of people queue up to go inside the Buddha.