Day trips from Tokyo: Kamakura
3:00 PM
Kamakura is good day trip from Tokyo especially if you're not visiting Kyoto or Nara. Here you can see two beautiful temples & significant Buddhist statues. It is also just short walk the train station. You can visit both temples in the morning and spend the rest of the day in Tokyo or exploring more of Kamakura.
Tip: From
Kamakura Station if using a JR Pass, one must exit the JR Station then go to
Enoshin Station via the street gate when transferring. IF using SUICA, you an
pass by gate transfer by tapping the SUICA again.
Kotoku-in
“The Great Buddha of Kamakura”
Famous for The Great Buddha of Kamakura or “Kamakura Daibutsu” in the Kotokuin Temple. It is a large outdoor bronze statue is a National Treasure. It is the 3rd largest bronze statue in Japan. 
The temple grounds is small and easy to walk around. It is just a 7 minute walk from the Station, there are signs to lead you to the temple.
You’ll pass several food establishments and souvenir stores on your way like this cute coffee kiosk.
Website:
http://www.kotoku-in.jp/en/about/about.html
Hours
of Operation: 8:00-5:30 PM (April to Sept); 8 AM – 5 PM (October to March)
Entrance
Fee: Y200 additional 20 yen/person if you want to enter the interior of the
Buddha
Nearest
Train Station: Hase Station, Enoshima Electric Railway
Hase-dera Temple
A Buddhist Temple, the Hase Dera Temple houses a 30.1 foot gilded wooden Hase Kannon Statue. It is made from one single piece of camphor wood. The temple grounds is on the slope of a small hill so you’ll need to go up a few stairs to reach the Kannon-do Hall that houses the statue.
On the way up, stop by the Jizo-do Hall which houses little Jizo stone statues (Guardian Deity of Children) that are there to comfort the souls of unborn children.
Another must see is the Kyozo Sutra Archive. They say that by turning the rotating bookracks called Rinzo, you can earn the same merits of reading all the sutras. There is a certain direction you’re suppose to follow as you rotate the rinzo.
There
is a nice viewing deck near here to see the city of Kamakura.
 |
| view from the deck |
 |
| Main Gate of the Hase Dera Temple |
Entrance
Fee: Y300 (adults)
Operation
Hours: 8:00 – 5:00 PM (March to September) ; 8am-4:30 (October to Feb)
Website:
http://www.hasedera.jp/en/
How to get there: From train station,
turn left
Nearest
Train Station: 3 minute walk from Hase Station, Enoshima Electric Railway. It’s
about an hour train ride from Tokyo Station.
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