From Narita Airport, the fastest and most expensive way to reach Kamakura is to take the Narita Express in the direction of [wiki=964ba3c4bd69b63da15c2f02790dd68f]Yokohama[/wiki] or Ofuna, and then change to the JR Yokosuka line for the run to Kamakura. This takes approximately 2 hours and costs ¥4500, but if you use JR's Suica & N'EX combination ticket for foreigners, the fare is reduced to ¥3500. It may be more convenient to change to the Yokosuka Line at intermediate stations, where it is as simple as a same-platform or cross-platform transfer: If the Narita Express terminates at Yokohama, change at Musashi-Kosugi; if it terminates at Ofuna, change at Totsuka.
Regular JR commuter trains depart Narita Airport once per hour: some trains offer one-seat rides to Kamakura station, or else change at wherever the train terminates to the next train bound for Zushi, Yokosuka or Kurihama (About 2 1/2 hours, ¥2210). These trains offer a ¥950 Green Car seating upgrade; Green cars feature more comfortable seats and a drink and snack service.
From Haneda Airport, take any Keikyu Line Airport Express (エアポート急行) train bound for Shin-Zushi or Kanazawa-Bunko, and change at Yokohama station for the JR Yokosuka line (One hour, ¥800).
If you plan on staying at a Ryokan it may be a good idea, unless your plane lands in the morning, to spend your first evening in [wiki=62413a57c5e3dc51177995fa175d3286]Tokyo[/wiki] or [wiki=964ba3c4bd69b63da15c2f02790dd68f]Yokohama[/wiki], or else you might miss out on (and be charged for) dinner at the ryokan, or worse, you may be locked out of (and be charged for) your room at the ryokan's curfew time, if there is one. If you plan to stay at a budget accomodation, check to see whether or not it has a curfew time.
The fastest way to Kamakura Station is by JR Yokosuka Line from [wiki=07e4138075f64c2def16833b1002f718]Tokyo Station[/wiki] (one hour, ¥890), Shinagawa or [wiki=964ba3c4bd69b63da15c2f02790dd68f]Yokohama[/wiki] (25 minutes, ¥330). The [url=http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/kamakura_enoshima.html]JR Kamakura-Enoshima Pass[/url] gets you a round trip in this area with unlimited use of JR, Enoden and Shonan Monorail lines. You can buy the ticket at Ofuna, Fujisawa, Kamakura or Kita-Kamakura Station.
An alternative is to take the private Odakyu line from [wiki=f1b7e87a26b2c633ba456e95749b598b]Shinjuku[/wiki] to [wiki=2316e550ce7782f41a04055e28c428b0]Fujisawa[/wiki], then change onto the rattling old Enoden (江ノ電) half-train/half-streetcar line that terminates in Kamakura. The longer (about 90-minute) travel time is compensated for by views of [wiki=029554d9be379e5245d72dc6ad9d1013]Enoshima[/wiki] island and the Shonan coast. The [url=http://www.odakyu.jp/ticket/couponpass/enoshima.html]Enoshima-Kamakura Free Pass[/url] will get you a roundtrip from Shinjuku(Other Odakyu,Seibu and Sotetsu all stations) and unlimited use of the Enoden line for one day.
Bicycles can be rented from several locations, though rates are expensive.
* This rental shop has standard Japanese bicycles for rent, including battery-assisted bikes.
The largest Shinto shrine in otherwise almost solidly Buddhist Kamakura, built by Yoritomo Minamoto (1147-1199) founder of the Kamakura Shogunate and the first Shogun in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). About 1km north of the station, this shrine attracts a million visitors on New Year's Day to see the first sunrise of the year (Japan Rail runs trains all night long). If you're lucky, you may see a traditional wedding going on in the plaza in front of the main shrine. The Ritual Dance Stage (舞殿) is the spot where Yoritomo forced the hunted Yoshitsune's Lady Shizuka to perform a dance for him. Rather than celebrating Yoritomo, Lady Shizuka's dance expressed her love for Yoshitsune and her sorrow at his plight. This event is commemorated during the Kamakura Festival in April. Twice each year, in the spring and fall, you can watch demonstrations of Yabusame (archery from galloping horseback, in full samurai regalia) at Hachiman-gu.
* The cemetery contains the grave of Eiji Tsuburaya, the creator of Ultraman (a popular 1960s tv show whose sequels are still running) and a pioneer in Japanese science-fiction shows. Fans who visit the grave place toy Ultraman action figures on Tsuburaya's grave.
The following sights are in western Kamakura, mostly near the Enoden Hase station.
* Home of the famous Great Buddha (大仏 Daibutsu), a bronze statue of Amida that at 13.35 meters is the third largest in Japan (after the Buddha's in [wiki=5b08c47099272559f88b4d1c6e9b84c6]Katsuyama[/wiki] and [wiki=b9a3db29bd7cff7ac487a42a32a0cda2]Nara[/wiki]). Thought to be cast in 1252, the statue was originally housed in a giant temple hall, but the building was washed away in a tsunami.
* This temple, also called "Hase Kannon", is home to the largest wooden statue in Japan, representing Buddhist deity Kannon. There is an excellent view over the bay from the Observation platform. An interesting if somewhat claustrophobic grotto on the grounds is filled with statues of Benzaiten.
* An atmospheric shrine in the hills dedicated to the deity Benzaiten, but popularly named after the most common activity: according to legend, any money (zeni) washed (arai) in the cave here will be doubled. You can also purchase o-mamori (protective charm) and have a kannushi (shinto priest) strike sparks from a flint over it to increase its power. It is about a kilometer away from Kamakura station. As there is no direct bus service, those in a hurry should take a taxi. Otherwise, the undemanding 20-minute stroll gives pleasant views of residential areas with quiet gardens. The shrine itself is reached via a long, but well-illuminated tunnel bored right through the rock. The hill above, Genjiyama, has a park with excellent views over the city. It is also a popular place for viewing the cherry blossoms in early spring. From here you can reach the hiking trail running from Tokeiji to the Kōtokuin.
The artist Isamu Noguchi lived and created ceramics in Kita (North) Kamakura in 1952.
* Engakuji (円覚寺). Number two of Kamakura's Five Zen Temples, founded in 1282 to commemorate soldiers who fell fighting off the Mongol invasion the previous year. The Shariden building on the grounds is reputed to contain one of the teeth of the Buddha. Atop a hill near the temple is the temple's large bell and next to it a teahouse famous for its tokoroten (sweet cold noodles).
* Kenchōji (建長寺). Number one of Kamakura's Five Zen Temples, the oldest in Kamakura (built 1253) and one of the oldest in all Japan. The temple bell here too has been designated a National Treasure, and there's a nice Zen garden as well.
* Tōkeiji (東慶寺) [http://www.tokeiji.com/pc/en/]. A nunnery famous in the feudal days for sheltering abused women, who could obtain a divorce by staying here for three years. Has a large and atmospheric graveyard. Also called "Kakekomidera" (the fugitive temple), and famous for its ume (Japanese plum).
* Meigetsuin (明月院). A lot of hydrangeas are planted in the precincts, and it is called "Hydrangea Temple." On the other hand, it is known for the grave of Hojo Tokiyori and the Meigetsuin Temple tower that assumed to be the biggest in tunnel type grave. It takes 10 minutes on foot from JR Kita-Kamakura Station. It is open from 9 am to 4 pm. ¥300.
The temples of eastern Kamakura lie off the beaten tourist track and are for that very reason worth a visit. While you can reach these on foot, it's probably wiser to take a bus as there's still a fair bit of climbing to do just to get around the temples.
* Jōmyōji (浄妙寺). Sample tea ceremony on the cheap here with a ¥500 cup of matcha tea in the gardens.
* Sugimotodera (杉本寺). Tranquil hillside temple with a newer stone stairway to the left of the even steeper, worn-out original one, and views over the town. The oldest temple in Kamakura, founded 734. Eleven-faced statue of Kannon.
* Shakado Kiritoshi (釈迦堂切り通し). Fifteen min walk from Sugimoto Kannon. Kamakura is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the ocean on the fourth. Very narrow roads were cut through the mountains, to make for easy defense. The Shakado Kiritoshi (pass) is cut through solid rock, and very impressive even today. Unfortunately it has been impassable since April 2010 due to a large rockfall.
* Hōkokuji (報国寺). Notable for its lovely bamboo grove. You can get matcha here too.
This is actually in Yokohama, but is closer to Kamakura both geographically and historically. From about the year 1200 to 1700, Shingon Buddhist monks gradually excavated this underground maze of tunnels as a site for spiritual training. You will be given a candle which you slip onto a wooden holder outside the entrance, and light at the candle inside the doorway. Damp, silent corridors lead to small, domed meditation chambers with walls and ceilings carved with fantastic creatures and Buddhist images, and on down to the spring room with a great turtle and birds carved on the walls. A small flashlight would be useful to see the images that candlelight doesn't reach.
Near Taya Cavern, there are some other attractions:
* A studio displaying beautiful and expensive handcrafted pottery and glassware that range from whimsical to Wabi-sabi.
* A spa housed in a building with the large neon character for bath on the roof.
Kamakura has several hiking trails that can provide relief from the crowds at the more popular shrines and temples. The Daibutsu hiking course starts a few hundred meters down the road from Kōtokuin. The trail has several offshoots that lead to various small shrines and temples. If it has rained recently, the trail could be muddy and there are several steep sections.
Kamakura is not just a historical city which has a lot of temples, shrines, and other historical buildings - there are also some popular beaches in Kamakura. You can feel the atmosphere of the Shonan Coast in the bright sunshine and have a good time there, especially in summer.
* This is a representative beach in Kamakura, so many people visit in summer to enjoy the sea-bathing there. It is also a spot for a good view of the firework display held in summer. Kamakura is famous for aquatic fireworks. (Just remember when walking along this beach that it was not so long ago that a lot of dismembered heads buried in and near the sand were found. The heads were very old, from an era when Japan was not such a friendly place).
* This is also a famous beach. The Inamuragasaki Park (稲村ガ崎公園 Inamuragasaki Kōen) is located there and is well known for its sunsets. The film "Inamura Jane" (稲村ジェーン), directed by Keisuke Kuwata, was set there. The remains of the Hojo, Kamakura's government, was destroyed there in 1333. It follows along National Road 134.
* This is also a famous beach in Kamakura. Unfortunately, swimming is prohibited. But it's still a good beach to relax and have an enjoyable time. Many surfers enjoy surfing there.