You can use trains and buses! Enjoy a one-day trip to Kamakura with the discount ticket "Kamakura Free Kankyo Tegata"!

*This article was posted on December 22, 2016. Please note that there may be changes in the contents.

Here is a list of the routes we took this time.

First, let's purchase the "Kamakura Free Environmental Bill"!

"Kamakura Free Environmental Bills" are sold at three locations: Kita-Kamakura, Kamakura, and Hase.

The "Kamakura Free Environmental Bill" (also known as Yoritomo Ticket) costs 570 yen for adults and 290 yen for children.

Click here for details such as designated areas

• [Train] Enoden Kamakura Station - Hase Station
• [Bus] ～Kita-Kamakura Station, ～Daitogu, ～Jomyoji, ～Daibutsu, ～Nagoshi
  (Keikyu Bus, Enoden Bus starting from Kamakura Station)
• [Sales location]
  • ・Kamakura City Tourist Information Center
  • ・Shonan Keikyu Bus: Kamakura Sales Office, Kamakura Station Information Center
  • ・Enoden Kamakura Information / Enoden Kamakura Station / Hase Station
  • ・Engakuji shop
  • ・Kita-Kamakura Old Folk House Museum
• 【others】
  • ・There are benefits such as discounts on admission fees and admission fees at sponsoring facilities
  • ・Cannot be used from January 1st to 3rd
  • ・Click here for further details → About Kamakura City / Kamakura Free Environmental Bill

The route we recommend this time starts from Kita-Kamakura Station, so let's go buy a ticket when you get off the station. Ticket sales locations in the Kita-Kamakura area are the Engakuji Shop and the Kita-Kamakura Museum of Old Folk Houses.

Both are located near Kita-Kamakura Station, but if you buy them at Engakuji, you will need to pay a separate admission fee. ※Comes with a picture postcard

・Engakuji Shop (Business hours: December-February 8:00-16:00, March-November 8:00-16:30)
・Kita-Kamakura Museum of Traditional Folk Houses (Opening hours: 10:00-17:00)

If you want to start early before 10:00, you can buy it at Engakuji and take a walk around the precincts.

On this trip, I bought a ticket at the Kita-Kamakura Museum of Old Folk Houses and first walked to Meigetsu-in, a temple famous for its hydrangeas.

*From Kita-Kamakura Station to Meigetsu-in, it takes about 10 minutes on a flat road. However, if you walk on the prefectural road side, there are many cars and the road is narrow.

From Kita-Kamakura Station to Meigetsu-in Temple

Speaking of Meigetsu-in Temple, the temple gate is famous for its hydrangeas, but we visited in December, so of course there were no hydrangeas. However, there are many things that I have noticed only in winter, such as the soft dents in the stone stairs that feel like they have been around for a long time.

We could enjoy the last autumn leaves from the famous round window. Also known as the "window of enlightenment," the circle symbolizes the universe.

There are squirrels running around the precincts, cats taking a nap, birdhouses and rabbit hutches, so you can enjoy the cute appearance of small animals. In addition, the Jizo statues scattered around the grounds are dressed in woolen winter clothes, and the atmosphere is very gentle and cute, and it was such a heart-warming temple.

Meigetsu-in Temple

Access: 10-minute walk from Kitakamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line
Address: 189 Yamanouchi, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Regular holiday: No holidays
Visiting hours: 9:00-16:00 (8:30-17:00 in June)
Admission fee: 300 yen. 500 yen in June. (There is a special admission to the garden in June and during the fall foliage season *Additional 500 yen)

You can't miss Kamakura sightseeing! To Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine

If you go back the way you came from Meigetsuin, you will see a railroad crossing. Cross it and go a little to the right along the prefectural road, and you will find the bus stop (Enoden Bus) "Meigetsuin". From there, take a bus bound for Kamakura Station and go to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

*The number of buses from Kita-Kamakura to Kamakura is about 1 every 20 minutes, so it is better to check the time in advance.

If you have a ticket, you don't have to worry about the IC card balance or looking for coins, so it's convenient! Get off the bus at "Kamakura Hachimangu-mae".

This is a shrine that is related to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, so it's a must-see if you're visiting Kamakura!

When you look back after climbing the stairs to the main shrine, you can see the straight approach to Yuigahama Beach, which is spacious and refreshing.

There is a large pond called Genpei Pond in the precincts, where you can enjoy the seasonal scenery such as cherry blossoms, wisteria, lotuses, and autumn leaves, and you can see many migratory birds in winter.
From the beginning of the year until early February, you can enjoy more than 100 varieties of winter peonies in the Shinen Botan Garden.

Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine

Access: 10 minutes walk from JR Yokosuka Line "Kamakura Station" East Exit
Address: 2-1-31 Yukinoshita, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Regular holiday: No holidays
Visiting hours: 6:00-20:30
Admission fee: Free (fee charged for Kamakura National Treasure Museum, Treasure Hall, and Shinen Botan Garden)
Homepage: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine | TSURUGAOKAHACHIMANGU

Jomyo-ji Temple ~ Slightly elegant Kamakura lunch

Now, from Hachimangu-mae, take the Keikyu bus and head towards Jomyo-ji. The east side of Kamakura, where Kamakuragu Shrine, Sugimotoji Temple, Jomyoji Temple, and Hokokuji Temple are located, is far from the station, making it difficult to reach on foot.

However, if you take a bus, you can go to the front of each entrance, so this "Kamakura Free Environmental Bill" is very useful!

So this time I decided to go to this area. First, head to Jomyoji Temple (note: the name of the bus stop is Jomyoji Temple). Take the Keikyu Bus bound for Tachiarai, Kanazawa Hakkei, or Highland.

*Although it is not included in this route, if you are going to Kamakuragu Shrine, please take the bus bound for Daitogu.

Jomyo-ji Temple, one of the five great temples of Kamakura, is the family temple of the Ashikaga family and has a samurai-like appearance. There is a slightly famous restaurant in the precincts of this place.

After visiting the main hall, cross the tea room with a dry landscape garden on the left, and climb the stairs and slopes. rice field.

At the restaurant called "Ishigama Garden Terrace", we recommend the bread baked in the stone oven and the delicious dishes made with Kamakura vegetables.

If the weather is nice, we recommend sitting on the terrace. How about an elegant lunchtime while enjoying the view of the seasonal flowers blooming in the English garden and Mt.

*At Jomyo-ji Temple, you can receive a picture postcard by showing your Kamakura Free Environmental Bill ticket.

Jomyo-ji Temple

Access: From Kamakura Station, get off at Keikyu Bus "Jomyoji" and walk for 5 minutes
Address: 3-8-31 Jomyoji, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Regular holiday: No holidays
Visiting hours: 9:00-16:30
Entrance fee: 100 yen (50 yen for elementary school students)

Stone kiln garden terrace

Access: 3-minute walk from the main gate of Jomyo-ji Temple
Address: 3-8-30 Jomyoji, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture (within the precincts of Jomyoji Temple)
Closed: Mondays (if it falls on a public holiday, the following day will be closed) Summer holidays and year-end and New Year holidays
Business hours: 10:00-17:00 *Food and drink information is subject to change depending on the season.
Phone number: 0467-22-8851
Website: Ishigama Garden Terrace

To the bamboo temple Hokokuji

After lunch, go back to the bus street and go to Hokokuji Temple on the opposite side.
This temple is famous for its bamboo grove, so you can enjoy the garden regardless of the season, even in winter.

The bamboo grove spreads behind the main hall. The sight of more than 1,000 bamboo trees, fresh and straight, makes me feel like my spine is straightened when I look at it.

There is a teahouse in the back of the bamboo grove where you can enjoy matcha green tea and sweets.

*Please purchase a ticket at the entrance separately from the admission fee.

Enjoying a cup of delicious matcha in the tranquility, watching the swaying bamboo grove and lost in thought, the time seems to fly by.

In the precincts, there are yagura (turret) ruins and many five-ringed pagodas. There was also a turret in the precincts of Meigetsu-in Temple, where we first visited. Many of the turrets found at Kamakura's temples and shrines are medieval tombs, and are unique to Kamakura, which is dotted with many yato (yado), which are surrounded by mountains on three sides and have deep valleys.

*At Hokokuji Temple, you can receive the temple's "Origin" by showing your "Kamakura Free Environmental Bill" ticket.

Hokokuji Temple

Access: From Kamakura Station, get off at Keikyu Bus "Jomyoji" and walk for 3 minutes
Address: 2-7-4 Jomyoji, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Closed: December 29th to January 3rd
Visiting hours: 9:00-16:00 *Matcha reception until 15:30
Entrance fee: 200 yen Matcha (with dry sweets) 500 yen
Website: Houkokuji Temple HOUKOKUJI <Official>

Take the Enoden to Hasedera

After visiting Hokokuji Temple, return to Kamakura Station by bus, and then board the Enoden train to Hase. (By the way, I've already taken the bus three times so far, so I was able to recover the cost of the one-day pass!)

*The bus between Jomyoji Temple and Kamakura Station runs every 10 minutes during the day.

After arriving at Kamakura Station, take the Enoden.

The free pass area of Enoden is up to Hase Station. The Hase area is full of wonderful spots unique to Kamakura. Let's go!

First, head to Hasedera Temple, which is also famous for its hydrangeas.

The temple is so popular that there are restrictions on admission during the hydrangea season. However, Hase Kannon is not the only attraction here. It's bigger, more beautiful, and more overwhelming than you can imagine. Please visit us.

In addition, there is a museum called "Kannon Museum" in the precincts, where treasures such as the eleven-faced Kannon Bodhisattva statue and the thirty-three statues are displayed. You can also learn about the history of the temple through a 5-minute movie that introduces Hasedera.

In the area where the Kannondo is located, there is an observatory where you can see the city of Kamakura and the sea.

You can see the beautiful coastline of Yuigahama Beach. The stairs are a bit tight, but I would like you to see this scenery in person! That's excellent.

Also, Hase-dera has a little cute Buddha statues here and there in the precincts, which will soothe your heart.

Furthermore, there is a cave called “Benten-kutsu,” which is a bit like exploring a dungeon. When you enter inside while bending down a little, the inside is quite wide and looks like a maze. The appearance of several Buddhas floating in the light of candles is very mysterious.

The hydrangea season is nice, but the winter season is also nice because the air is clear and you can see the scenery from afar, and there aren't many people, so you can take a calm stroll!

*At Hase-dera Temple, you can receive a commemorative gift by showing your "Kamakura Free Environmental Bill" ticket.

Hasedera Temple

Access: 5 minutes walk from Enoshima Electric Railway "Hase Station"
Address: 3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Closed: December 29th to January 3rd
Visiting hours: March-September 8:00-17:00 / October-February 8:00-16:30
Entrance fee: 300 yen for adults, 100 yen for children
Website: Kamakura Hasedera Temple

Last but not least, the Great Buddha! & recommended Kamakura souvenirs

Well, the end of the Kamakura sightseeing trip using the "Kamakura Free Environmental Bill" is the "Great Buddha"!

About 5 minutes on foot from Hasedera. There are many souvenir shops along the way, so you can enjoy walking. The Daibutsu is located in a temple called Kotoku-in. You can see it as soon as you pass through the gate.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura makes me think, "It's so big! Was it this big?" On this day as well, I sat leisurely.

By the way, did you know that the Great Buddha of Kamakura can be put inside (womb)?

There is a wing-like window on the back and light enters through it, so the inside is not so dark.
When you look inside the Great Buddha, it's easy to understand how each part was connected to make it, and it's quite interesting.

*At Kotoku-in Temple, you can receive a “origin note” by showing your “Kamakura Free Environmental Bill” ticket.

Kamakura Great Buddha (Kotokuin)

Access: 7 minutes walk from Enoshima Electric Railway "Hase Station"
Address: 4-2-28 Hase, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Closed: December 29th to January 3rd
Visiting hours: April-September 8:00-17:30 / October-March 8:00-17:00
Entrance fee: 200 yen for adults, 200 yen for junior high and high school students, 100 yen for elementary school students
Website: Kamakura Daibutsuden Kotokuin

Well, since it's a big deal, I want to buy souvenirs too!

There are many famous Kamakura souvenirs such as pigeon sables and kamakura custers, but here are the ones I would like to recommend this time!

This is "Kurumiko" from Beniya, Kamakura. Kanagawa Prefectural Confectionery Exhibition Confectionery Contest Best Award Winner! The package is also double-boxed and elaborate and cute.

It's full of walnuts and caramel, but it's not too heavy or too sweet, just the right amount of softness and deliciousness!

It's a perfect gift for your friends or workplace.

There are several stores in Kamakura city. This time, I stopped by the Hase store on the way from Hasedera to Kamakura Daibutsu.

Kamakura Beniya

Access: 7 minutes walk from Enoshima Electric Railway "Hase Station"
Address: 3-1-16 Hase, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Closed: Open all year round *Closes at 15:00 on December 31st.
Business hours: 9:00-17:00
Phone number: 0467-24-3077
Website: Beniya Co., Ltd.

That's why the one-day tour of Kamakura using the "Kamakura Free Environmental Bill" ends here. Take the Enoden back to Kamakura Station.

Regarding the time it took for this sightseeing route, we started from Kita-Kamakura at 10:00 in the morning and returned to Kamakura Station at 16:30 in the evening.
You can start a little earlier and explore the Kita-Kamakura area more, or visit the Goryo Shrine and the Kamakura Museum of Literature in the Hase area.

If you can get on the bus, you can shorten the travel time considerably, so it was a great free pass that was perfect for visiting sightseeing spots in Kamakura!

*The information on each facility listed is as of December 2016.

Click here for details of the Kamakura Free Environmental Bill
About Kamakura City / Kamakura Free Environmental Bill