When our friends offered to collect us from downtown Tokyo and drive us to the south to their local city we jumped at the chance to spend the day with them. And what a fun day it was! With the promise of glorious weather, and being a Sunday ,our friends collected us and drove us an hour south to the historic city of Kamakura. Our friends M & Y took us to various spots in Kamakura, as well as to their seaside home to check out and see how they live in Japan.
Kamakura is a beautiful town full of history – it was the political centre of medieval Japan and was founded in the 1000’s!!! There are so many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines to explore, but modern day Kamakura is more known as a “resort” town – a place for the inhabitants of Tokyo to escape to, get some fresh sea air, perhaps go for a bit of a surf too! While it was a Sunday, and it was pretty busy, it still was nothing like Tokyo, and it was a welcome relief to actually be able to walk relatively freely and spend what really felt like a “holiday” kind of day. Nothing beats looking around at the sights, grabbing an icecream, sitting by the sea, and enjoying local treats.
Our first stop for the day was to the amazingly serene Hokokuji Temple. Being relatively early (10am -ish) on a Sunday morning it was quiet and we were some of the first few to get there (Mr Y was super happy as he got a parking right by the entrance, a first he said lol!). This temple was beautiful, and the bamboo groves and gardens were magnificent. At the end of the path we got to visit a little tea house, which served traditional tea overlooking the bamboo gardens. Just magic!!!
After our first temple we went into the town proper to stroll around and check out the street scenes. Our first stop was the big red torii gate and the 450 metre Dankazura walkway. There were still some remnants of cherry blossoms left on the trees along the walkway, which was beautiful. This elevated walkway, surrounded on both sides by main road now, was built by the first Kamakura shogun, Minamoto no Yoritimo, to connect the imposing shrine to the sea. Walking along this pathway with the cherry blossoms was amazing, and as we headed up to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine we passed by stalls selling candy apples, candy grapes, candy everything. lol. The kids partook in the some sweet treats and we eventually made it to the complex. Here we got to see some of the priests walking into a shrine for a service, we also got to check out these huge white barrels which were traditionally used for storing Sake. I really liked the Sake barrels, and Mr Y explained that each region has their own special design on its barrel. While here we also bought little “fortune tellers” papers, which gave us our fortune. After reading you tie your paper fortune to a shrine, and leave it there. I really enjoyed this more ‘historical’ aspect of our trip!
Of course we had time to eat and shop for the kids… and you can imagine how happy they were when we passed a Hello Kitty Cafe! After overdosing on sweet treats we then went for a stroll amongst the little lanes and backstreets which are packed full of shops. The cutest little stores you will ever find! We went to B-Side Label and bought a bunch of funky vinyl stickers…. yes, a whole shop dedicated to stickers. Wall to floor stickers! lol. We also bought clothes, charms, toys and other random tidbits which my daughter was just swooning over. I really enjoy this style of shopping – open air, little street side stalls selling everything! And the food too… you could seriously buy anything from crazy flavoured donut balls to octopus on a stick. It was great!
After our shopping and snacking it was time to hit this bad boy – the famous Great Buddha of Kamakura. Made of bronze and at a height of 11.4 metres, Amida Buddha was inside a temple hall back in 1200’s but after the hall was destroyed by tsunamis in the past it now stands outside. You can climb into him and up for a view, which my daughter did but I refrained by sitting under a flowery tree and having a break from her. (don’t judge me!) The grounds are of course beautiful too, especially with spring flowers. A must see in Kamakura!
In the late afternoon we stopped into the Hasadera temple. By this time we were pretty tired and templed out, so after exploring the grounds we stopped in their cafe/restaurant and got to try some local delicious deserts! Those yellow balls are like a sweet rice ball with soy sauce covering them… kind of weird, definitely an acquired taste! This temple is amazing as its up high and offers sweeping views to the sea. I also just adored this place for its gardens – so many little quiet nooks to sit and contemplate. It was how I imagined a Japanese garden to be! By this stage we were done, so we went back down to the car the way we came. It was here that, in my daughter’s opinion, was the best thing she saw all day – a dog and cat getting pushed in a pram! lol. You see this in Tokyo but it seems here in Kamakura every man (and his dog) was out and about. The girls loved it! lol. Thank you to Mrs M, Mr Y and their dauhghter Y for a lovely day out! It was great to see your “hood” and your local spots!
Travels with an Australian, a Peruvian and Baby A. 
I totally understand that you needed a break from your ‘little baby’ girl ; ) I think it’s only normal to have a short alone moment to soak in where you are.
Hilarious, these men with strollers and a cat and dog in it! How manly is that! It probably shows their age and/or desire to care and/or loneliness (but don’t judge me on that either).
So I see there’s a lot of ‘Japaness’ going on. Would you go there if not you were invited by your friends?
Thanks for visiting Cindy! You know what? In all honesty I had no interest in Japan. I always thought it might be a country to visit years down the track, when im old or something. For me my heart is in the middle east and central asia. So yes, i only went because of the dear people I met here in Perth who became very good friends. I am glad i went, Japan is amazing, but it really is an assault on the senses and I think some people aren’t really “made” for such chaos.
I see the Japanese as very modest and well mannered people. It’s hard to see their true face or their emotions (I speak from the people I met while traveling). They appear to be serious and smart. I have the impression that it’s difficult to befriend them (perhaps of the big difference in culture). Is this view correct and did you notice this in Japan when you were there?
Yes what you say is totally correct Cindy! They really are so well mannered and keep to themselves, which I think is why even though it’s a huge city everything just works! I remember my daughter commenting on the subway “if this was Australia it would be so loud and full of idiots”. Lol. The train might have been packed but it was dead quiet. I think it could be hard to make friends if living there, everybody kind of just keeps to themselves. It was definitely an eye opening trip- their culture is just so different to anywhere else in the world!!
Hahahaha, I wonder where your daughter picked up these lines about the subway 😂😅😂
Ahem…. 🤣🤣🤣
Thought so 😉😂
Thank you for this charming tour! Loved every bit of your narration. ❤
P.S. I did not judge. But not because I know what it's like to have a daughter, but because I know that sometimes my mom deserves a break from me, too. 😂
Loooool were you a handful for mum hey?? 🤣🤣🤣 Even though we love our daughters sometimes we do need a few minutes just for ourselves!! Remember we had a bunch of kids too on our trip – i needed a break from anyone under 12! Lol
Hokokuji Temple looks early nice and quiet, but I’ll vote with your daughter. The man pushing his dog in a baby carriage is awesome! Maggie
Lol those pram things were everywhere Maggie! Japanese pets dont walk! We saw a cat wearing an old fashioned bonnet too, it was hilarious! And a poodle in a denim outfit! Lol
Great piece, Anna. I love Tokyo so much. In fact, I’d say it’s my favourite/joint favourite city in the world so far. Indeed you never know what you might see in a Tokyo pram, especially if you’re wandering around the Harajuku neighbourhood. An emphatic YES to Japanese donuts.
Thanks for visiting Leighton! My blogs are not on par with your amazing work but I enjoy reliving the memories in my own way!
What a wonderful day out! It’s always great to see a place through the eyes of people who live there, and your friends certainly took you to some amazing locations. I love all the temple shots, the huge Buddha and yes, the dog and cat in a pushchair 😆 We saw similar in Takayama in particular, the pets there seemed especially pampered!
Thanks for visiting Sarah! Those pets in Japan sure have the good life! Although my dog can’t complain, he costs me a fortune on premium food! Spend more on him than myself! 🤣
This sounds like a great excursion, with kawaii things (that latte art (?) couldn’t be more cute), beautiful temples, a little bit of cherry blossoms, nice blue skies, and… pets who don’t walk! 😆 If there was a competition of being cute, Japan would definitely win!
I’ve never been to kamakura so this is new. Loved the photos of the gardens.
I would never have known of this place without our friends. I was so pleased, was a great gem of a place!
Outings with local friends are always my favorite things when visiting a new country, and you’re lucky that your friends had a very cute town. NOOO judgment from me on the brief escape from kids; we all need those mini-breaks, and isn’t it great when the kids are old enough to do something on their own for a minute?! I love the first view of the rooftops and the water; it’s just a classic seaside little town – the best kind of place for a Sunday stroll.
Thanks for visiting Lexi!
Hanging with the locals has its advantages, Miss Kitty.
Beautiful photos of Kamakura, Anna! Though not at peak season, the cherry blossom-covered walkway looks amazing. I was there last month but there were only barren trees 😛 The bamboo groves and gardens are also tempting. I missed that temple because transportation was a bit inconvenient.