11th May 2009, we took a train out to Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, about 50 kilometres south-south-west of Tokyo. Kamakura is famous for the gigantic bronze buddha Daibutsu 大佛, and also known as an ancient city of Samurai or Shogunate where the famous Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is located. But we slowly realize that they are so much more to Kamakura then we expected. You can expect there will be multiple blog entry on Kamakura :)
But first, how to get to Kamakura. You can purchase a Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass from Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center at Shinjuku Station. The return ticket cost Y$1430 each (S$21.45). From Shinjuku, it's 1 hour to Fujisawa, where you will need to change to the Enoden train (shown here in photo) 30 minutes to Kamakura. Enoden train is a really charming train that runs thru the little town towards Kamakura. The first train leaves Shinjuku around 7:30am, and a day trip is sufficient to see everything in Kamakura if you can walk really really fast and climb stairs like nobody's business :)
If you are interested to know more details of Kamakura then what you read in the guide book, I highly that you contact the Kamakura Welcome Guide Association to get a free guide that will take you around Kamakura. The association is made up of 30+ retired volunteers, who provide free guided tour of Kamakura. You need to contact them at least 3 days before you arrive in Kamakura, and tours are available in Chinese, English, French, Italian, Korean, Portuguese or Spanish. You will have to pay for the guide's transportation and lunch. You will also need to factor in your own entrance fee to shrine which sums up to about Y$1000 (S$15) per person. The photo here shows our guide Mr Hiroshi Matsuura (Age 66), reading a fortune paper with my dad (Age 74).
Ref:
Kamakura
Daibutsu 大佛
Shogun 将軍
Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū 鶴岡八幡宮
Kamakura Welcome Guide Association
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