Kamakura was the seat of government in Japan for about a century and a half from the twelfth century, which is why a small seaside town an hour from Tokyo has more serious temples in it than most cities. It sits in a bowl of wooded hills opening onto a bay, so a day here can include a thirteenth century bronze Buddha, a valley of moss and bamboo, an hour of hill walking on an earth path, and a beach with surfers on it, without ever getting back on a mainline train.
The main sights
The Great Buddha, eleven metres of thirteenth century bronze sitting in the open air where a hall used to be, on the western side of town.
Hasedera, a hillside temple nearby with terraced gardens, a sea view and thousands of small stone figures.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the main shrine, at the top of a long approach avenue that runs down to the sea.
Hokokuji, the bamboo temple, small, with a grove and a tea house where you drink matcha looking into it.
Engakuji and Kenchoji, large Zen complexes on the northern edge, quieter and more serious than anything by the station.
The Enoden line, a one carriage railway that runs between houses and along the sea front, which is a sight in itself.
The other half of the day
The hiking trails over the ridges, an hour or two on earth paths, connecting the temple clusters.
The beach, with surfers year round and a proper local scene rather than a resort.
Enoshima, the island at the end of the Enoden line, with a shrine, caves and a lighthouse.
Komachi street, the shopping approach from the station, busy and good for street food.
Fuji at sunset, from the coast, on a clear day in the colder months.
Practical notes
An hour from central Tokyo on ordinary trains, no reservation needed.
Bicycle hire near the station, which is the best way to link the sights.
The Enoden fills at weekends and in summer, and the queue at the station can be long.
Temples close in the late afternoon, most of them, and the shrine grounds stay open.
Small entry fees at most temples, some cash only.
Trail shoes are unnecessary and trainers are, since the hill paths are earth and roots rather than pavement.
Summer weekends bring the beach crowd on top of the temple crowd.
If you have longer
Enoshima, half a day, with a shrine complex, sea caves and an observation tower.
Zushi and Hayama, further along the coast, quieter and residential.
A night in Kamakura, which buys you the temples at opening and the beach at dawn.
Yokohama on the way back, which is a large and underrated city with a waterfront and the best Chinatown in Japan.
Nikko instead, if what you want is a bigger and more elaborate shrine complex in the mountains.
Where this fits in a Japan trip
Kamakura is the day trip to take from Tokyo if you are not going to Kyoto, and a good one even if you are.
For the city you are leaving for the day and how to plan the rest of it, our Tokyo guide covers the ground.
For the other Tokyo half day that needs booking in advance, our guide to teamLab covers the tickets.
And for the older capital in the west, which does the same thing at greater scale, our Nara day trip guide covers the comparison.
The short version
Travelling with children, this town is the best day trip Tokyo has, and our five days in Japan with children builds a whole week around that pace.
Take an ordinary train from Tokyo, hire a bicycle at the station, and do the temples in the morning before the coaches. See the Great Buddha in the open air and pay the small extra to go inside it. Walk one of the ridge trails at midday for the shade and the quiet. Then take the little coastal railway out to the beach for the end of the afternoon, and on a clear winter evening look west across the water for Fuji.
