• Engaku-ji Temple - Engakuji (円覚寺) is a prominent Zen temple in Eastern Japan, ranking second among Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. It was established by the ruling regent Hojo Tokimune in 1282, a year after the second Mongol invasion was repelled. The temple was built to honor the fallen soldiers from both Japan and Mongolia.

Engakuji is nestled into the forested hills of Kita-Kamakura. The first major structure visitors encounter is the Sanmon main gate, dating back to 1783. Beyond it lies the temple’s main hall, the Butsuden, which houses a wooden statue of the Shaka Buddha. The Butsuden was reconstructed in 1964 after the original was destroyed by an earthquake.

• Kencho-ji Temple - Kenchoji (建長寺, Kenchōji) is the foremost of Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. As the oldest Zen temple in Kamakura, it was founded by the ruling regent Hojo Tokiyori in 1253 during the Kencho Era, from which it takes its name. Its first head priest was Rankei Doryu, a Zen priest from China.

Although smaller than in its prime, Kenchoji still comprises numerous temple buildings and subtemples, extending from the entrance gate at the valley’s base deep into the forested hills. After passing through the Sanmon main gate, visitors will find Kenchoji’s temple bell (Bonsho), a designated national treasure, on their right.

• Meigetsuin (Hydrangea Temple) - Meigetsuin Temple (明月院) is a Rinzai Zen Sect temple founded in 1160 in Kamakura. It is also known as Ajisaidera (“Hydrangea Temple”) due to the abundance of hydrangeas blooming on its grounds during the rainy season in June. 95% of the hydrangeas are of the Hime Ajisai (“Princess Hydrangea”) variety, named for their lovely blue hues.

Originally, the temple was a memorial built by a son in honor of his father, who died in the power struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans in the late Heian Period. It later became part of a larger temple complex called Zenkoji, which was dissolved during anti-Buddhist movements shortly after the Meiji Restoration, leaving Meigetsuin as a standalone temple today.

• Jochiji Temple - Jochiji (浄智寺, Jōchiji) ranks fourth among Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. It is a branch temple of the Engakuji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Its head temple, Engakuji Temple, is located just a few hundred meters away on the opposite side of the railway tracks.

Jochiji was founded in 1283 by members of the ruling Hojo family following the untimely death of a son. Once a large temple complex with numerous buildings and subtemples, Jochiji is now small and tranquil. In its main hall, the Dongeden, the temple’s main object of worship, a Buddhist trinity of the Amida Buddha, Shaka Buddha, and Miroku Buddha, is displayed.

• Jomyo-ji Temple - Jomyoji Temple (浄妙寺, Jōmyōji) is a Zen temple located in the hills of eastern Kamakura. Ranked fifth among Kamakura’s five great Zen temples, Jomyoji was founded by the influential Ashikaga family and once comprised seven buildings and several pagodas. Over the centuries, many structures were destroyed by fire, leaving only the historic main hall, reception hall, main gate, and warehouse today. The main hall, situated at the end of a garden, houses a statue of Shaka Nyorai, the historical Buddha.

Jomyoji Temple also features a restored teahouse where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea for a small fee while admiring the view of a serene dry garden. Behind the main hall, the temple’s spacious cemetery is located on the hillside, with a path leading up to a small western-style restaurant. The restaurant, operated by the temple, offers excellent views over Kamakura from its patio.

• Hokokuji Temple (Takedera Temple) - Hokokuji Temple is renowned for its beautiful, small bamboo grove located behind the temple’s main hall, filled with over 2000 dark green bamboo stalks. Narrow pathways wind through the bamboo to a tea house where, for a small fee, visitors can enjoy a cup of matcha tea while taking in views of the bamboo grove. Behind the temple are a series of shallow caves carved into the hillsides, believed to contain the ashes of some of the later Ashikaga lords.

• Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura) - The Great Buddha of Kamakura (鎌倉大仏, Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, located on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. Standing at 11.4 meters tall, it has long been the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, surpassed only by the statue in Nara’s Todaiji Temple and some recent creations.

• Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine - The shrine is dedicated to Hachiman, the patron god of the Minamoto family and samurai in general. The deified spirits of the ancient Emperor Ojin, identified with Hachiman, Hime-gami, and Empress Jingu, are enshrined at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

• Zeniarai Benten Shrine - Zeniarai Benten Shrine (銭洗弁天) is a popular shrine in western Kamakura, where people visit to wash their money (zeniarai means “coin washing”). It is said that money washed in the shrine’s spring will double.

Minamoto Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura government, ordered the shrine’s construction after a god appeared in his dream and advised him to build the shrine to bring peace to the country. Since the dream occurred on the day of the snake, in the month of the snake, in the year of the snake, the shrine was later also dedicated to Benten, a Buddhist goddess associated with snakes.

• Enoshima Island - Just a short train ride west of Kamakura, Enoshima (江の島) is a charming tourist island off the coast, connected by a bridge to the mainland. The island offers a variety of attractions, including a shrine, park, observation tower, and caves. On clear days, views of Mount Fuji can be enjoyed.

Enoshima is divided into a yacht harbor accessible to motorized traffic and a forested hill, which can only be explored on foot (and paid escalators) and contains most of the sights. Several shrine buildings, collectively known as Enoshima Shrine, are found around the island and are dedicated to Benten, a popular goddess of good fortune, wealth, music, and knowledge. Benten is believed to have created Enoshima before subduing a five-headed dragon that had been terrorizing the area.

• Ankokuronji Temple - Ankokuronji (安国論寺) is one of several temples of the Nichiren sect of Japanese Buddhism along the hills in the southeast of Kamakura. Nichiren himself founded Ankokuronji around 1253 when he first came to Kamakura, and he is said to have lived at the temple for several years.

Visitors can walk along a short hiking trail through the wooded hills around the temple buildings. A pleasant view of the city of Kamakura can be enjoyed along the way. Some of the trail’s passages are quite steep and should only be explored with good walking shoes and during dry weather.

• Hase-dera Temple - Hasedera (長谷寺) is a temple of the Jodo sect, renowned for its eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The 9.18-meter-tall, gilded wooden statue is considered one of the largest wooden sculptures in Japan and can be viewed in the temple’s main building, the Kannon-do Hall.
• Zuisenji - Zuisenji (瑞泉寺) is a beautiful Zen temple in the far east of Kamakura, situated in the back of a narrow valley and surrounded by wooded hills. It is a branch temple of the Engakuji Temple.

Zuisenji was founded by Muso Kokushi, a leading Zen master of his time and one of Japan’s most famous garden designers. The temple is known for its pure Zen rock garden behind the temple’s main hall, designed by Muso himself. The temple also attracts visitors with its many flowers and blooming trees in other parts of the temple grounds, including a large number of plum trees.

• Myohonji Temple - Myohonji (妙本寺, Myōhonji) is one of several temples of the Nichiren sect of Japanese Buddhism along the southeastern hills of Kamakura. The temple was founded by Hiki Yoshimoto in 1260 and features a statue of Nichiren to the left of the main hall.

The temple is connected via the Gionyama hiking trail with some other nearby temples and a shrine. It leads through the wooded hills of Kamakura and should be explored only with good walking shoes and during dry weather, as there are a few steep and rough passages.

• Kamakura Hiking Trails - Kamakura is surrounded by the ocean to the south and by wooded hills in all other directions. Attractive hiking trails wind through the woods along these hills and connect various atmospheric temples. They are a wonderful way to travel between some of Kamakura’s sights. Many of the trails are short, typically taking between 30 to 90 minutes, and allow visitors to enjoy a mix of nature and cultural sights.
• Tokeiji Temple - Tokeiji (東慶寺, Tōkeiji) is a small branch temple of the Engakuji school within the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Its head temple, Engakuji Temple, is located just a few hundred meters away on the opposite side of the railway tracks.

Tokeiji was founded by the wife of the regent Hojo Tokimune in 1285 after Tokimune’s untimely death. Until the end of the Edo Period, the temple served as a refuge for women who suffered abuse by their husbands and sought a divorce. An official divorce could be obtained by staying at the temple for three years.

• Jufukuji Temple - Jufukuji Temple (寿福寺) ranks third among Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. It is a branch temple of the Rinzai sect’s Kenchoji school.

Jufukuji was established by the order of Minamoto Yoritomo’s wife Masako after her husband’s passing. Its founding priest was Eisai, the man responsible for introducing Zen Buddhism to Japan. Besides the often-photographed pathway leading to the temple, Jufukuji is not open to the public.

• Eishoji Temple - Eisho-ji Temple (英勝寺) is the only surviving nunnery in Kamakura, located near Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Founded in the early Edo period by a woman connected to the Tokugawa family, it is known as a “flower temple” for its seasonal blooms.

Visitors can enjoy a peaceful bamboo grove and a graceful Amida Buddha statue, said to be by the famous sculptor Unkei. The quiet atmosphere makes it a hidden gem worth visiting.

• Customizable Walking Tour of 3-4 sites
• Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
• Meet up with guide on foot in Kamakura/Yokohama

• Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
• Private transportation
• You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
• Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.

Kamakura is recognized as the epicenter of Zen Buddhism. For those seeking an optimized journey through Kamakura, employing an official, knowledgeable, and polyglot tour conductor makes this comprehensive excursion an exceptional means to delve into the city!

Renowned as a hub for Zen Buddhist practice, this spiritual discipline flourished here since the late 1200s. Presently, a wealth of Zen monasteries dots the region of Kamakura, and we’ve handpicked a quintet of these spiritual sites for your immersion into the Zen discipline, meditation practices, and exquisite temple gardens.

Share with us your desired experiences, and your guide will customize a six-hour exploration tailored specifically to your interests!

Note1: Kindly identify your preferred destinations from a selection provided in the tour details to personalize your tour plan.
Note2: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter qualification is bestowed by the government of Japan and signifies extensive proficiency in Japanese culture and heritage.

• This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.