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Voykit pocket guide · Japan

Kamakura

鎌倉市

Go as a day trip from Tokyo or Yokohama, not as a base: one full day covers the Great Buddha, Hase Kannon and Hachimangū; sleep over only if you want the hiking trails.

Kamakura was Japan's political capital from 1185 to 1333 and keeps the country's densest cluster of Zen temples and Shinto shrines within a few square kilometres. It sits on the Shōnan coast, 1 hour from Tokyo Station on the JR Yokosuka line, and most visitors do it in a single day. The sights are split between the central shrine district, the western Hase area with the Great Buddha, and the quieter northern and eastern temple valleys.

KyotoOsakaAizuwakamatsuAomoriAshikagaChikumaEchizenEnoshimaFukuiGeroHachinoheHakoneHakubaHimejiKamakura200 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Japan
Local name
鎌倉市
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
Avoid
Jun (hydrangea crowds at Meigetsuin), Golden Week, New Year (a million visitors at Hachimangū on 1 Jan)
Stay
0–1 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
JPY
Money
Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
Daily spend
Budget ¥5,000–9,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥9,000–16,000 excl. bed · High ¥16,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
Emergency
Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
Plugs
Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
Tipping
Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
Water
Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
Toilets
Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Coffee¥400–700
Noodle soup or a set lunch¥900–1,500
Beer: draught / can at a konbini¥500–750 / ¥250–350
5 km taxi¥2,000–2,500
Enoden ride¥150–310
Temple entry¥100–600
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥2,000–4,000

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

HND · Haneda
Keikyū express to Yokohama, then JR Yokosuka line; about 1 h, ¥800
NRT · Narita
Narita Express to Yokohama or Ōfuna, then JR Yokosuka line; about 2 h

Typical fares

Tokyo Station → Kamakura, JR Yokosuka line
about ¥920, about 1 h
Kamakura → Hase, Enoden
about ¥190, about 5 min
Haneda → Kamakura, Keikyū plus JR
about ¥800, about 1 h

Get around

The centre is walkable, but the Great Buddha and Hasedera are 2–3 km west: take the Enoden line three stops to Hase, or a bus from the station. Buses radiate from Kamakura station to the eastern temples. Bicycle rental is available near the station east exit (about ¥800 for the first hour, ¥250 each extra hour).

See and do

Known for

  • Great Buddha (Kōtokuin)
  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangū
  • Hase Kannon (Hasedera)
  • Zen temples of Kita-Kamakura
  • Enoden coastal train

Day trips

WhereHowTime
EnoshimaEnoden from Kamakura to Enoshima, about 25 minAbout 40 min
YokohamaJR Yokosuka line from Kamakura, about 25 min, ¥330About 40 min
TokyoJR Yokosuka line from Kamakura to Tokyo Station, about 1 h, ¥920About 1 h 10 min
HakoneJR to Odawara, then the Hakone Tozan line or bus1.5–2 h
OdawaraJR Tōkaidō line from Kamakura, about 50 minAbout 1 h

Sleep

Kamakura Station area
Trains, buses and the Komachi-dōri shopping street on the doorstep; best for one night with bags.
Hase
Walk to the Great Buddha and Hasedera; Enoden line to the centre in about 5 min.
Kita-Kamakura
Quiet, temple-side; one JR stop north of Kamakura station.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Excuse me / Sorryすみませんsumimasen
Thank youありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu
This one, pleaseこれをくださいkore o kudasai
How much is it?いくらですか？ikura desu ka
Can I pay by card?カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka
Where is the toilet?トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
  • Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
  • Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
  • Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
  • Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
  • Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
  • Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
  • Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope

Scams and watch-outs

  • The Great Buddha and Hasedera are packed on weekends and holidays: arrive before 09:00.
  • Meigetsuin's hydrangea season (roughly June) draws long queues; go at opening.
  • The Daibutsu hiking course is slippery after rain: wear shoes with grip.
  • Some ryokan and budget lodgings have a curfew and charge for dinner you miss: confirm before booking.

One of Japan's safer destinations; the real risks are crowded trains and pavements, summer heat on the hiking trails, and slips on wet stone steps.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Kamakura yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Great Buddha (Kōtokuin)
  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangū
  • Hase Kannon (Hasedera)
  • Zen temples of Kita-Kamakura
  • Enoden coastal train

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Kamakura鎌倉市

ここまでお願いします

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119

No embassies in Kamakura; most are in Tokyo, with consulates in Yokohama.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/kamakura). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.