Kita-Kamakura北鎌倉

An exciting and exploratory journey into the old capital of Japan. Beautiful and famous historical temples exist here.

Kamakura City is situated in the southeastern part of Kanagawa. One side of the city faces the sea and the rest is surrounded by mountains, so it was used as a natural fort. The Shogun Minamoto-no-Yoritomo established his shogunate (the center of politics) in Kamakura, in 1192, leading samurai warriors of the Kanto region. The city prospered for more than 150 years from that time. There are many historical sites for sightseeing, mainly temples and shrines that are scattered around in this city. Walking through greenery from site to site adds pleasure to a sightseeing tour. A good starting point for exploration is Kita-Kamakura.

Toward the end of the Kamakura Period, one of the most powerful clans, Hojo, set up a rating system called "Kamakura Gozan" for Zen temples. Hojo rated five temples of Kamakura, three of which-Kencho-ji Temple (first), Engaku-ji Temple (second), and Jochi-ji Temple (fourth)-can be seen in Kita-Kamakura and are proud of their history. You can learn about the history of Kamakura while enjoying a refreshing stroll through the woods.

Meigetsu-in Temple is known as the Ajisai (Hydrangea)-dera Temple. As the name suggests, the temple garden becomes abundant with hydrangea flowers in early summer. The approach to Tsuruoka-hachiman-gu Shrine and the Dankatsura streets of cherry blossoms are also places to enjoy seasonal flowers in Kita-Kamakura.