Kamakura

Kamakura is a coastal city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanto, 50 km south of Tokyo on Sagami Bay. Area 39.5 km2; population 170,000. Kamakura gained prominence when Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura shogunate in 1185, making it Japan's military capital until 1333. Hojo regents governed, Zen Buddhism flourished, and the city fell to Nitta Yoshisada in 1333, leaving a dense legacy of medieval religious and political sites. Notable sites include Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, the former shogunate's ritual center; Kotoku-in temple housing the 13.35 m bronze Great Buddha; and the Zen temples Kencho-ji and Engaku-ji. Forested hills offer hiking, while Yuigahama and Shichirigahama beaches face Sagami Bay. Komachi-dori shopping street and Kamakura-bori lacquerware represent local culture. Today Kamakura is a tourism and commuter hub in Greater Tokyo, linked by JR lines and the Enoden. Events like Kamakura Matsuri and Hachiman Reitaisai with yabusame horseback archery highlight its ongoing cultural life.