Japan Heritage story
Kamakura: the samurai capital as a mosaic of history
「いざ、鎌倉」
In the late 1100s Kamakura became the seat of Japan's first samurai government. Pilgrims, then holiday villas and writers, added their own layers, and the town now reads like a mosaic of eight centuries.
Key facts
- Theme
- Sea and waterside, Forests and timber, Festivals and rituals
- Era
- Kamakura
- Region
- Kanto
- Official name in Japanese
- 「いざ、鎌倉」
- Official subtitle in Japanese
- ～歴史と文化が描くモザイク画のまちへ～
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 神奈川県（鎌倉市）
The story
When Minamoto no Yoritomo set up his shogunate here at the end of the 12th century, power moved from court nobles to warriors. Sea on one side and hills on three, Kamakura was laid out around Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and its long approach, Wakamiya-oji. Roads called kiridoshi were cut straight through the ridges, and great Zen temples rose at the foot of the hills.
After the shoguns left, Kamakura became a quiet village, but later rulers protected its shrines. In the Edo period it turned into a place of pilgrimage and sightseeing. In the Meiji era, the German doctor Erwin Balz called the view from Shichirigahama the most beautiful spot in Japan, and villas, sea bathing and writers followed.
What to see
- Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and Wakamiya-oji: the heart of the medieval city.Google Maps 鶴岡八幡宮 鎌倉 (opens in a new tab)
- Kiridoshi passes: narrow roads cut through rock, the old gateways into Kamakura.
- Zen temples: Kencho-ji and others, protected since the shogunate.Google Maps 建長寺 (opens in a new tab)
- Shichirigahama: the coastal view toward Enoshima and, on clear days, Mt Fuji.Google Maps 七里ヶ浜 (opens in a new tab)
- Kamakura Museum of Literature: a former villa of the Maeda family.Google Maps 鎌倉文学館 (opens in a new tab)
See the Kanagawa prefecture guide and more shrines and temples.
Good to know
- Walk one kiridoshi pass to feel how the hills protected the city.
- Look for Kamakura-bori, carved lacquerware first made by Buddhist sculptors for villa owners.
- Go early on weekdays: Kamakura is close to Tokyo and very busy at weekends.
Questions travellers ask
Why is Kamakura important in Japanese history?
It was the seat of the first samurai government, founded by Minamoto no Yoritomo at the end of the 12th century.
What is a kiridoshi?
A road cut straight down through a ridge. Kamakura's kiridoshi linked the walled-in city with the outside world.
Where it comes from
More heritage stories from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.