History / Culture / Tour Spots in Kanagawa Area

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Category

Travel / Tourism

History / Culture / Tour

Kuzuryu-jinja Hongu Shrine

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Ashigarashimogunhakonemachi Motohakone In the forest of Hakone Kurotaku dragon

A Shinto shrine located on the east bank of Lake Ashi in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo County, Kanagawa Prefecture dedicated to a dragon god believed to provide luck with money, business prosperity, and aid in love and marriage. The crimson lacquered inner sanctuary, surrounded by greenery near the lakeshore, exudes a solemn air, and in recent years it has become a popular destination as a mystical “power spot.” A small red torii gate stands in the lake nearby, and during the shrine festival held each month on the 13th, visitors can pay a small fee to ride a motorboat out and back to an adjoining jetty from Motohakone Port. There is also a walking trail which can be used to reach the jetty from Hakone-en in around 30 minutes.
Jufuku-ji Temple

3.5

90 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Kamakurashi Ogigayatsu 1-17-7

A Rinzai Kencho-ji Temple Buddhist temple located in the Ogigayatsu neighborhood of Kamakura City. The temple’s honorific mountain name is Kikokusan, while its official temple title is Jufuku Kongo Zen. It is also the third of the “Kamakura Gozan” (Five Mountain Temples of Kamakura). The temple was founded in 1200 by the priest Myoan Eisai after being invited by Hojo Masako, the wife of the shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. There are gorinto (five ring towers) on the grounds said to be the graves of Hojo Masako and her son Minamoto no Sanetomo.

Compared to the main temples in Kamakura, this one is hidden in a small alley which is not easy to find. The temple os not big or something that may impress visitors and there are no statues around...
Enno-ji Temple

4.0

52 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Kamakurashi Yamanouchi 1543

Rinzai Kencho-ji Temple Buddhist temple located in Yamanouchi, Kamakura City. The temple enshrines figures of Enma, judge of the dead, and the ten rulers of the afterlife. Also known as the “Shinkyo Enma-do” and the “Juo-do” in reference to these statues, the temple’s principal object of worship, a wooden seated figure of Enma, is believed to have been created in the Kamakura period by the renowned Buddhist sculptor Unkei. This figure, sometimes called the “Laughing Enma” due to its facial expression, is also called the “Man-Eating Enma” because, according to legend, it once mistakenly ate a child. Two fragrant olive trees grow in front of the main temple, and in October they come into beautiful bloom.

Small temple set in the mountainside on the main road from Kamakura in Kita-Kamakura. Houses a selection of wooden carved statues depicting the ten judges for the underworld. The central figure is...
Berrick Hall

4.0

68 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Naka-ku Yamatechou 72

Berrick Hall, located next to Motomachi Park, was built in 1930 as the residence of British trader B.R. Berrick. With an area of approximately 2,000 square meters, it is the largest building among the existing Yamate Foreign Residences. Based on the Spanish style, this building is of architectural value, with a variety of decorations such as the triple arch at the entrance, small windows called quatrefoils, and walls restored using the fresco technique in the interior.

１Ｆはダンスなど社交場として利用されていたのであろう大きなフロア。２Ｆはご子息と来客用、家主用の部屋があり、風呂・トイレ完備の各部屋は大きく当時の中においても相当裕福な家庭であったことが容易に想像ができました。
Ryukoji Temple

4.0

57 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Fujisawa-shi Katase 3-13-37

The head temple of Nichiren Buddhism, located in the Katase neighborhood of Kamakura. The temple’s honorific mountain name is Jakkozan. According to legend, in 1271, the great priest Nichiren was wrongly sentenced to death by beheading by the Kamakura shogunate, but just before the sentence could be executed, the executioners were blinded by a brilliant flash of light, and Nichiren’s life was spared. Thereafter, in 1337, one of Nichiren’s disciples, Nippo, built a hall commemorating the event in which he placed a figure of Nichiren he carved himself as well as the hide which was placed on a rock for Nichiren to rest on before being beheaded. This hall then eventually became the Ryuko-ji Temple. In addition to the main temple building and bell tower, the temple grounds are also home to the dungeon where Nichiren is said to have been imprisoned. The temple’s wooden five tier pagoda is one of only a very few nationwide that was constructed in the Meiji period.

Set on a mountainside away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Katase / Enoshima this is a lovely complex of Buddhist worshipping places includes a 5 story pagoda and Thai like tower.
Kaizoji Temple

4.5

54 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Kamakurashi Ogigayatsu 4-18-8

Located in Ogigayatsu, Kamakura City, this is a temple belonging to the Rinzai Buddhist School’s Kenchoji sect. Its honorific mountain name is Senkokuzan. It was built in 1253 by Fujiwara no Nakayoshi who had received an order from Prince Munetaka, and was destroyed by fire when the Kamakura shogunate lost power. It is said that the temple was restored in 1394 by Uesugi Ujisada under the command of Ashikaga Ujimitsu, inviting the priest Shinsho Kugai to take occupancy. It is well-known as a temple with flowers blooming in profusion amidst each season, including flowering crab apple, hydrangea, Chinese bellflower, Chinese trumpet vine, Japanese maple and Japanese clover. Located in a cavern behind the Yakushido is the Soko-nuke-no-ido, one of the Kamakura Jissei (the ten wells of Kamakura) with 16 round holes from which water is flowing.

The temple is great and worth a visit. I especially liked the employees working there. They put a lot of effort and seem to enjoy their work. Fantastic to watch.
Yokohama Tram Museum

4.0

53 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Isogo-ku Takigashira 3-1-53

This museum is located in 3-Chome, Takigashira, Isogo Ward, Yokohama City. It features exhibits related to “Yokohama Shiden”, beloved as the legs of Yokohama citizens from 1904 to 1972. Primarily, streetcars are stored here, along with signs and paving stones, and you can fully experience the atmosphere of the time when the streetcar was active. There are also exhibits tracing the history of Yokohama transportation, dioramas of a 0-gauge railway, and a streetcar simulator.

Cant beat the price of admission - ¥300!!!! However, it is located ironically nowhere near a train station. The closest station is Negishi Station. You will need to take a bus, taxi, or walk for...
Gosho Jinja

3.5

61 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Ashigarashimo-gun Yugawara Machi Miyashita 359-1

湯河原屈指のパワースポットと聞き、宿泊先からの通り沿いにあったので訪問午前中だったので駐車できたものの、出る頃には、変な止め方している人も止め方には注意を払わないと出れなくなりそう。境内に七福神それぞれのお賽銭があるので、小銭は多めに一柱、道路を渡った反対側にもおわしますので、道路の横断にはご注意を
Kainan Shrine

4.0

40 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Miurashi Misaki 4-12-11

This shrine is located in Misaki 4-chome , Miura City. In addition to enshrining Fujiwara-no-Sukemitsu, the ancestral founder of Miura, it venerates Senryu Benzaiten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods of Miura. Every year on January 15th, they hold the sacred Chakkirako dance, registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

三崎のフィッシャリーナウォーフ「うらり」でのお買い物や食事の前後にオススメです。三崎口駅へのバス通りと平行する参道に入るともう正面に見えていて、歩いて３分ほどの近さです。近づくとより社殿の朱が際立って見えます。立派な御神木も見事です。御朱印は何種類かが正面右手の社務所で頂けますが、通常版だけは書き置きではなく持ち込んだ御朱印帳に直接記してくださいました。
Kakuonji Temple

4.5

52 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Kamakurashi Nikaidou 421

Located in Nikaido, Kamakura City, this is a temple belonging to the Shingon Buddhist School’s Sennyuji sect. Its honorific mountain name is Jubuzan. The temple originated from the Okura Yakushido built in 1218 by Yoshitoki Hojo, the second regent to the Kamakura shogunate. According to temple legend it was converted in 1296 into a Buddhist temple with Chikai Shine as its founding priest by the ninth regent Sadatoki Hojo, who had prayed that the third Mongol invasion would be repulsed. The lush green temples grounds have been designated as a national historic site, and the atmosphere of the Kamakura period is conveyed to the present. It is prohibited to move about freely on the premises and visitors may only see the temple under the guidance of a priest at designated times. Photography is prohibited during the visit.

Very calm place in a quiet neighborhood. There are some other temples around as well. If youre looking for peace and silence, this is it
Hetsumiya

4.0

75 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Fujisawashi Enoshima 2-3-8

Located on the grounds of Enoshima-jinja Shrine on the island of Enoshima, this palatial shrine was founded in 1206 by Minamoto no Sanetomo. Dedicated to Tagitsuhime-no-mikoto, the current Shinto-style hall was rebuilt after repairs were conducted in 1675 and 1976. Because the shrine is located on the lowest area of Enoshima, which has many hills and valleys, it is also the Lower Shrine.

They way to the shrine, between the two archways, is a road flanked by tacky souvenir shops and food stalls. If you are more interested in the spiritual, then put your head down and press on.
Kano-jinja Shrine

4.0

45 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Yokosukashi Higashiuraga 2-21-25

This shrine is located in Higashiuraga, Yokosuka City. This is the western shrine of the pair of twin Kano-jinja shrines that sandwich the Uraga harbor. Thought to be sites with spiritual energy, based on the name Kano, meaning 'possible'. Fortune in finding a partner is found by placing a bead from the west Kano shrine in an amulet case from the east Kano shrine. The two shrines are easily accessible using the Uraga no Watashi passenger ferry, which traverses the harbor.

浦賀駅から徒歩20分ほど。 1181年に石清水八幡宮を勧請して創建。祭神は応神天皇。現社殿は1929年再建の木造銅板葺でその脇にある神輿蔵には立派な神輿が納められている。また拝殿左側の石段を220-230段ほど上ったところ(明神山山頂)には奥の院が鎮座している。
Pola Museum of Art

Leisure / Hobbies

Kanagawa Ashigarashimo-gun Hakonemachi Sengokuhara Kozukayama 1285

The museum exhibits approximately 9,500 works of art collected over a number of decades by Mr. Tsuneshi Suzuki, the owner of the Paula Orbis group known for Paula cosmetics. The collection of Impressionists’ work is also said to be the greatest in both quality and quantity in Japan. The architecture overflows with a translucent quality due to the abundant amount of glass used which is a feature of the museum, and art can be appreciated in the abundant greenery and light which shines in through the enormous picture windows. A promenade was opened in 2013 so you can stroll at your ease in the middle of nature while listening to the birds singing.
Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature

4.0

34 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Naka-ku Yamatechou 110

This literature museum is located in “Harbor View Park” in Yamate-cho, Naka Ward, Yokohama City. Stored inside are over 12 million documents, including Natsume Soseki’s special collection, and book collections of Yasushi Inoue, Shohei Ooka, etc. In addition to the regular exhibit “Scenery and Literature of Kanagawa”, in which the surrounding region and deeply related works are explained using materials like handwritten documents, panels, and models, there is browsing of stored documents, services like copying, special exhibits, readings, seminars and other events.

「星をかたりて、たれをもうらまず」と題された生誕90年「三浦哲郎」展が開催されていた。展示は「作家誕生」と「三浦哲郎の文学世界」との2部構成。友人らによる書簡や所属した同人誌、作品「15歳の周囲」で第２回新潮同人雑誌賞受賞の資料、３９歳の時の芥川受賞作「忍ぶ川」にまつわる資料等々「作家誕生」までの展示が第一部。取材ノートや原稿・作家らからの書簡・刊行された本・メガネや万年筆レコードなどの愛用品が第...
Sagami River Fureai Science Museum Aquarium Sagamihara

4.5

31 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kanagawa Pref. Sagamiharashi Chuou-ku Suigoutana 1-5-1

This science center is located in 1-Chome, Suigotana, Chuo Ward, Sagamihara City. They have exhibits focusing mainly on wildlife living in the Sagami River area. It features a “River Zone” centered around river fish, a “Life Zone” which has exhibits of rare lifeforms including amphibians and Tokyo bitterling which is designated as nationally protected species, and a “People Zone” which describes the interactions between people and the river through panels. Also, you can experience offering food to river fish on any day.

常設展示室は、川ゾーン・生命ゾーン・人ゾーンなどに分かれていて、川ゾーンにある流れのアクアリウムは、スロープに水槽があり、上流に住んでいる魚から下流に住んでいる魚まで、相模川の流れを水槽で表現していました。人ゾーンの屋外にある湧水と小川のアクアリウムでは、魚に餌を与えることができ、おさかなスティックを水面に近づけると、魚がジャンプして空中で食べる姿は凄まじいです。企画展はアマゾン展でした。内陸部に...
Sagamihara Municipal Museum

3.5

42 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kanagawa Sagamihara-shi Chuo-ku Takane 3-1-15

プラネタリウムもあるし、展示物も立派で相模原市の規模の博物館としては頑張っていると感じる施設です。規模は小さい部類に入りますが県立や歴史ある100万人規模の政令指定都市の施設と同じレベルのものです。
Taya Caves

4.0

44 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Sakae-ku Tayachou 1501

The Taya Caves belong to the Josen-ji Temple, a Shingon Buddhist temple which was founded in Japan’s Muromachi period. The caves are said to have first been opened up in the Kamakura period, and the walls are carved with images of the great monk Kukai and the principle objects of worship in pilgrimage sites throughout Shikoku, Saigoku, Bando, and Chichibu. Pay a small fee to receive a traditional “yuraisho” documenting the history of the temple and a votive candle, after which you may follow a 300 meter long path to a worship site. As you engage in quiet and solemn prayer in the caves, you will begin to feel their long history. Closest station: Ofuna Station.

Cave is unfortunately only partly open to the public, but is very impressive that the monks over many years build such a laerge cave for prayers and meditation. You receive a candle for lichting but...
Hokai-ji Temple

3.5

46 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Kamakurashi Komachi 3-5-22

This Buddhist temple was founded by Ashikaga Takauji on the orders of Emperor Go-Daigo in order to appease the souls of the Hojo clan, which was dissolved in 1333. Built on the site of a Hojo clan estate, the temple later developed into a center of education and cultivation. Even today, the detached Korin-an hermitage is open for use for sutra copying. The hermitage is equipped with the necessary materials, and visitors can readily come here to engage in sutra copying themselves. During the equinoctial week of Buddhist services, the grounds are covered with white bush clover, resulting in the temple’s nickname, the “Bush Clover Temple.”

I took a bus from Sugimoto-Kannon Busstop and got off at Daigakumae Busstop. I had visited the start of the Kamakura Shogunate and was heading to the end of it. Hokai-ji Temple was founded by...
Kamakura Kokuhoukan Museum

4.5

42 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Kanagawa Pref. Kamakurashi Yukinoshita 2-1-1 (Tsuruoka Hachimangu Shrine)

Kamakura Kokuhoukan Museum (“Kamakura National Treasures Museum”) is a history and art museum located within the precincts of the Tsurgaoka Hachimangu Shrine, which was opened in 1928. The exhibits include carvings, paintings, ancient documents etc. donated by local temples and shrines. The museum building is itself designated as a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

Quiet little museum tucked in the outer grounds of Hachimangu that feature mostly Kamakura treasures of all shapes and sizes. Fascinating collection of temple statuary. Well worth seeing out.
Bluff No. 18

4.0

61 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Naka-ku Yamatechou 16

Bluff No.18 was built during the Taisho period (1912-1926) and was once the residence of Australian trader, Mr. Bowden. It was later used as a priest's residence of the Catholic Yamate Church, and in 1991, the building materials were donated to the City of Yokohama. In 1993, it was moved to the Yamate Italian Garden and restored, and has been open to the public. The house reproduces lifestyle of foreigner's houses after the Great Kanto Earthquake, and the Yokohama furniture that was manufactured in Motomachi at that time is restored and exhibited.

イタリア山庭園内にあり、こちらも無料で入館可能です。建物の雰囲気も山手の景観にしっくりきていて、とてもいい雰囲気を感じる事が出来ると思います。

Kanagawa

Around Minato Mirai Yamashita Park / Chinatown / Motomachi Yokohama City (North) Kawasaki Kamakura Miura Peninsula Shonan Central Odawara / Manazurumachi / Yugawara Around Hakonemachi Yokohama City (South)

Travel / Tourism History / Culture / Tour

Reference/Local/Exhibition/Literature Museum Shrine Castle / Ruins of Castle Historical Monument Temple Church Ruin / Grave / Ancient Tomb Memorial Hall Cultural Property Event Hall / Public Hall Art Museum Museum / Science Museum Other Historic Site/Building

Kanagawa Areas

Kanagawa prefecture acts as an extension of the Tokyo metropolis that spills over into coastal towns, most notably Yokohama city, heavily populated and known for its Chinatown and seaside attractions. Just the right distance for a day trip out of Tokyo, Kanagawa is home to some of Tokyo’s most accessible beaches, including around Kamakura, best known for its Big Buddha. Visitors can also travel a little farther afield for a weekend at Hakone onsen town.