Kamakura is an ancient city, once a politic center of the first military (Samurai) government of Japan, established in 1185.
It’s an ideal place to getting and back in a day, as only one hour away from Tokyo by train.
We visit several must-see places in Kamakura according to your request.
The next itinerary is a recommended sample tour.
We meet at your Hotel in Tokyo or in Yokohama. (Hotel pick up)
Or at JR Kamakura station.
at your hotel in Tokyo/Yokohama or JR Kamakura station (EAST Exit)
Meet at your hotel in Tokyo or Yokohama.
If you'd like, we can meet at EAST Gate of JR Kamakura station.
In this case, we can start the tour immediately at 9:00. Then, you can have enough time to stay in kamakura and enjoy shopping etc.
Houkokuji is one of the Zen temples in Kamakura, nick-named Bamboo temple.
You can enjoy strolling in the beautiful bamboo grove and calm atmosphere of Zen temple.
You can try Japanese maccha tea at a nice cozy cafe in the beautiful bamboo grove.
If you prefer to experience to sit on the Japanese style of tatami-mat room to have maccha tea, I take you to the Jyomyoji temple which is about 5 minutes walking distance from Hokokuji temple.
The Jyomyoji temple is one of the Five Great Zen Temples in Kamakura.
The traditional Japanese style of tatami mat room is facing to a nice Zen garden.
Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine was founded by the Kamakura shogunate.
A family shrine of Minamoto Clan.
At the ritual dance stage in the precincts, Japanesse style wedding ceremonies are often held. If you're lucky, You may come across the wedding ceremony.
We have lunch at a restaurant in Komachi street or at other place in Kamakura. It's one of the best places to buy various kind of souvenirs, as so many interesting shops and stores are on the street.
Let's enjoy walking around so exciting and delightful Komachi street.
The highlight of this Kamakura tour.
A bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which was designated as a National Treasure.
They said this is the only one National Treasure we can touch.
We can enter the inside of the statue, as well.
Hase Temple is very old temple founded in 736, almost 450 years older than the foundation of Kamakura government.
The main image of this temple is a tall eleven-headed wooden statue. It 's worth to see.
One more spot of this tour, we visit one of the following spots according to your preference.
* Kamakura High School Train Crossing:
The new popular sightseeing spot, "Kamakura High School Train Crossing "
of the Enoden (Enoshima railway).
It became so popular that it came up in popular Manga (comic book) "Slam Dunk"
and others.
* Yuigahama Sea Coast:
The beach was considered sacred ground to the Minamoto clan.
The Shogun would always purify his body here before visiting shrines in
Izu or Hakone. It was once an intense battlefield between Kamakura era
and Muromachi era.
* Mushin-an: Japanese style of traditional cafe.
The entrance of this cafe is just next to the Enoden railway. It's really
amazing experience to see the train are passing cafe front.
It's a typica Japanese room where you can enjoy a real good an old days
of Japan.
(close on thursday)
We finish the tour at JR Kamakura station or at Komachi street.
A guide gives you detailed information how to return to your hotel.
JR Kamakura station or Where You'd like near the station (ex. Komachi street)
** including:
guide fee,
guide lunch,
hotel pick up fee in Tokyo (in 23 wards) or Yokohama
**excluding:
transportation fee for you and a guide during the tour,
your lunch, maccha tea
admission fee to the temples an shrines for you (and a guide )
( A national licensed-guide is free admission to the almost of
the temples and shrines)
Private tour
Only for you and your group
(1)The tour price:
** including:
guide fee,
guide lunch,
hotel pick up fee in Tokyo or Yokohama
**excluding:
transportation fee for you and a guide during the tour, your lunch,
admission fee to the temples an shrines for you and a guide.
( A national licensed-guide (me) is free admission to the almost of the
temples and shrines in Kamakura)
for your reference:
* Transportation fee from Tokyo to Kamakura is about 1,000 yen (one-
way/adult, by JR +subway) + 900 yen (in Kamakura bus, Enoshima
railway train.)
Shizuko’s service was invaluable to us on our visit to Tokyo. She is energetic, knowledgeable, personable and an excellent communicator. She reached out to us prior to our tour to assist with questions of any kind, and we had many. On tour day, she reviewed our expectations prior to starting the tour. We then visited six plus different areas of Tokyo in 7.5+ hours making efficient use of subways and trains, with her guidance.
Dear rick, Thank you very much for your great and so quick review. I’m so glad to receive it. It was cloudy in the morning but luckily it has improved in the afternoon. So, we could visit many places. From today, your real exciting sightseeing in Tokyo by yourselves (no guide) starts. Please try to visit many interesting places as much as possible. “Suica” and “24 hours all-you-can-ride subway ticket” will support you. It’s fine today (on Wednesday). I hope you enjoy the biggest Projection Mapping in the world at Tokyo Metropolitan Office Building. (please check in advance) I’ve enjoyed very much guiding and talking with you during the tour. Thank you again for having me as your guide. I hope that your trip in Tokyo, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Hiroshima (Miyajima) and others will be wonderful memories of Japan. Shizuko
Shizuko is amazing tour guide.
Dear Alexander and your family, Thank you very much for your warm comment to my guiding. It was too hot to walk around Tokyo even if we walked looking for the shade. I was really happy that your 5 years old daughter walked together with us very well. I believe your teenage daughters enjoyed shopping as much as they want at Takeshita-street. And I hope you enjoyed the rest of your days in Japan to the fullest. Thank you again. Kind regards, Shizuko.
Ms Shizuko is a marvellous guide with superb attention to detail. Correspondence prior to tour was informative. The tour itself was just brilliant. Ms Shizuko has a lot of knowledge and provided a really unique and insightful experience. Ms Shizuko was punctual, polite and cheerful, she also took our well being into consideration, since we’d arrived in Tokyo less than 24hrs earlier.
Dear ‘femi, Thank you very much for your great review. I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour. And I hope you enjoyed a Pedestrian Paradise in Ginza, next day. How is Nathan? Is he playing the game bought at Cyber Space? I can’t forget his question about the history of Japan (Why Japan, which was far behind from other developed countries, could catch up with them finally?) That’s one of the most important questions in talking about Japanese history. What a smart boy he is! With talking with all of you, I also enjoyed the tour. Thank you for choosing me as your guide. If you have a chance to visit Japan again, please contact me. Thank you again. Kind regards, Shizuko
Shizuko was terrific. I wanted a custom tour of east Tokyo, had a few of the usual places in mind and 2 or 3 slightly off the beaten track, and she put it all together in a way that made a long day very interesting and enjoyable for all of us. Shizuko was punctual, polite and cheerful; always considerate of our interests and needs; and always knowledgeable about what we were seeing and where we were going and of Japanese history, religion, and culture in general. In short, she was wonderful. I highly recommend her as a guide.
Dear Douglas, Thank you very much for sending me such a heartfelt review. I’m so glad to know that you enjoyed the tour. Because I wish I could have taken a little more time to guide each spot. The tour schedule you requested was ideal one for a glimpse of Japanese tradition, culture and even daily life at off the beaten track of a part of Yanaka. I really enjoyed very much guiding and walking such nice places with you and everyone. I’ve been laughing at everyone’s jokes all the time. Thank you very much again for choosing me as your guide this time. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Japan to the fullest. Kind regards, Shizuko