Day 5: Kamakura

Kamakura is the perfect day trip for Tokyoites and tourists alike. It has many shrines and a 大仏 (daibutsu or giant Buddha) statue - the second largest made of bronze in Japan, in fact.

Once you arrive in Kamakura, you make a short walk to Hachimangu shrine either via Komachi-dori shopping street, or along the Dankazura. I recommend Komachi-dori because it's packed with little shops, of which many sell delicious street foods perfect for being on the go. It's easy to spot which is most popular. Just look for the shops with dozens of high school kids lined up in front. You can always walk the Dankazura on the way back.

If Komachi-dori wasn't enough, the Dankazura has it's own shops and food vendors selling everything from cotton candy to masks for children.


During my visit to Hachimangu, I was fortunate enough to witness a traditional/formal Shinto wedding. Here is the happy couple descending the stairs after the ceremony with a miko (priestess).


The shrine itself is atop a hill that's easy to get to via winding stairs where you're rewarded with a wonderful view of the Dankazura and torii. It was a little hazy that day, so my picture didn't turn out so well.

After the shrine, it's a short train ride (2 stops) via the Enoden line to Hase. The Enoden line uses rickety street car like trains with wooden floors. I feel sorry for the locals just trying to get home having to deal with the packed cars.

Once you arrive to Hase, it's a short walk to Hasedra (Buddhist temple) and to the Daibutsu. I didn't have much time, so I skipped Hasedra and headed straight for the Daibutsu which is well worth the 200 yen to get in.

There's pretty much nothing else to see here. The site is pretty small for housing something so gigantic. Basically, you pay your admission, walk through the gate and BAM: a huge Buddha. I wasn't prepared for how massive it actually is. I stopped in my tracks and let out an audible "whoa!".

The sun was setting at this point, so I decided to go check out Shichirigahama beach, which is a couple more stops down from Hase. The station itself is so quaint with its one small platform and a person taking your ticket instead of a machine. The beach is all of 2 blocks away from the station. This is where all the surfers hang out and motorcyclists like to cruise up and down the coastal highway.

The sidewalk is very narrow and is well used by joggers and cyclists, so it's best to find a beach access stairway and head there.

After wandering WAY too far from Shichirigahama, I wound up in Fujisawa and took the Tokaido line back to Tokyo station. JR is your friend. :) It's like the old saying "all roads lead to Rome".

御茶ノ水! Ochanomizu!

Here's a little hand towel I happened to find at Kanda Shrine in Ochanomizu as my friend and I were walking to Akihabara on our last day in Japan. I thought it was rather serendipitous and will be basing the coming boutique's logo off of it.We had no idea this little gem of a shrine was literally 2 blocks from our hotel. My friend and I had the morning and afternoon to kill before our flight and we decided to take a little stroll in the neighborhood we had called home for a few days. Ochanomizu is quiet and pretty little area on the Kanda river with the main street, Hongo Dori, lined with gingko biloba trees with their delicate split leaves.


We had grown very accustomed to cutting through the campus of the Tōkyō Medical and Dental University and crossing the Kanda river to get to the train station on our way to and from some other part of of the city. This is also where my beloved Origami Kaikan is located! I'll definitely be returning there to get some more projects and much more of their beautiful washi paper.


Ochanomizu also has a little vibrant core complete with the trainstation on one corner, a pachinko parlor across the street and a karaoke bar on the corner facing that one.

In the grand scheme of visiting Tōkyō, there's not much to do or see in Ochanomizu, but it's a very convenient and pleasant place to stay during your visit.