Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine / Komachi-dori Street鶴岡八幡宮・小町通り

The center of sightseeing in Kamakura. A shopping area with a lively atmosphere featuring Komachi-dori Street.

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine is the symbolic shrine of the old capital city, Kamakura. A number of people come to visit this historic shrine every day. The origin of the shrine goes back to the year 1180, when the Shogun Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, who established the Kamakura Shogunate to rule Japan, constructed the shrine pavilions at the current location. From Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine, which played a major role in the construction of the city of Kamakura, you can take the stairs up to the main hall where you can view Kamakura with the ocean in the background. There are many sights to see in the precinct, such as Mai-dono, Wakamiya, Genpei Pond, and Hon-gu, which attract a number of visitors every day. Various events are organized there throughout the year.

The approach to the shrine between the Nino Torii Gate and the San'no Torii Gate is called Dankazura. It is a raised path lined with cherry trees and looks particularly splendid in the spring when the trees are in blossom.

Komachi-dori Street is one street away to the west from Wakamiya-oji Street that stretches straight from Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine. Komachi-dori Street is a shopping street full of fashionable coffee shops, long-established restaurants, and shops where you can buy 'natto' (fermented soybeans), ham, traditional Kamakura carvings, and other local products. Don't forget to go around to the back of the street - you will be greeted by more shops and places for food and drink. There are more than 200 shops altogether, and a merry and lively atmosphere will always welcome you.