Japan has a great cultural and geographical variety, with each region offering unique attractions. If you have the opportunity to visit Japan, why not venture outside the major cities to experience a different side of the country? The city of Kamakura, only an hour by train from Tokyo, still retains much of the ambience of its years as a capital of Japan.
History
During the Kamakura period (1192-1333), Kamakura was Japan's focus and home to the shogun and governmental administrators. Many of the city's temples were established at that time. After the Kamakura period, the city was no longer the political center of Japan and for centuries was abandoned until emerging as a sightseeing spot in the Edo period. Today it remains an accessible day trip from Tokyo and one of Japan's most popular tourist spots. With a population of about 170,000, Kamakura also features quiet residential streets just a step away from the busy city center.
Sightseeing
Kamakura attracts large numbers of visitors year-round, as people come to enjoy the beauty of the seasons such as cherry blossoms in spring and hydrangeas in early summer.
Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha) 
The bronze statue is a national treasure of massive proportions (standing 13.35 meters tall and weighing 121 tons) that was erected in 1252 and repaired several times since. The graceful figure of the Buddha rising up into a blue sky is also an enduring symbol of Kamakura. Visitors can enter the statue. A 10-minute walk from Hase Station on the Enoshima Dentetsu Line.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
A shrine established in 1063. The view from Wakamiya Oji, the street running from the front entrance, is of harmonious red lacquered buildings against a backdrop of green hills and blue sky. A 10-minute walk from JR Kamakura Station.
Specialties of Kamakura
Hato Sable: Dove-shaped cookies, whose shape is derived from the kanji character hachi (eight) used in the nameboard of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.
Kamakura carvings: Woodcarvings in floral and other patterns coated with layers of lacquer. The woodcarving technique was handed down from thirteenth century Buddhist statue carvers.
Access Information
Location: About 50km SSW of Tokyo
Getting there: 55 min. from JR Tokyo Station by the Yokosuka Line
Tourist Information: Available at JR Kamakura Station. English guidebooks also available.
Getting Around in Kamakura
The attractions of Kamakura are dotted along the Enoshima Dentetsu Line, or Eno-Den, which weaves its way among the residential neighborhoods for about 10 kilometers from JR Kamakura Station. Bicycles can be rented in front of the station and on Komachi Dori Avenue where rows of souvenir shops are located. Rickshaws are available for sightseeing. A stroll through the quiet forest of Kita-Kamakura, home to many Zen temples and a lovely natural environment, is highly recommended.
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