Kanagawa Travel Guide for Japanese Learners
The Great Buddha of Kamakura, the port city of Yokohama, and Hakone's hot springs.
Just south of Tokyo, Kanagawa packs in the seaside temple-town of Kamakura, cosmopolitan Yokohama with its big Chinatown, and the onsen-and-views resort of Hakone with Mount Fuji on clear days.
History & background
Kanagawa (神奈川) was Japan's medieval capital: Kamakura (鎌倉) ruled as the seat of the shogunate from 1185, and its bronze Great Buddha (大仏) has sat in the open air since the 13th century. Yokohama (横浜) opened to the world in 1859.
What to see
- The Great Buddha (Daibutsu) of Kamakura
- Hakone hot springs and Lake Ashi
- Yokohama Minato Mirai and Chinatown
- Enoshima island
What to eat
Yokohama Chinatown and shirasu (whitebait) near Enoshima.
Getting there & when to go
Getting there: Yokohama ~30 min, Kamakura ~1h, Hakone ~1h25m from Tokyo by train.
Best time: Clear winter days give the best Mount Fuji views from Hakone.
When to go — season by season
Clear, dry winter days give the sharpest Mount Fuji views from Hakone (箱根). Early summer hydrangeas line Kamakura's temple lanes; autumn colours Hakone's slopes.
A suggested visit
Do Kamakura's Great Buddha and Hase-dera (長谷寺) in a day from Tokyo, or ride the Hakone loop — train, cablecar, and a Lake Ashi (芦ノ湖) cruise — using the Hakone Free Pass.
The Hakone Free Pass covers the loop of trains, cablecars, and pirate ship around Lake Ashi.
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