The Great Buddha of Kamakura: how to visit it from Tokyo

The statue

The Daibutsu of Kotoku-in is a seated Amida Buddha cast in bronze in the thirteenth century, about eleven metres tall and over thirteen with its base. Its hall was destroyed by storms and a tsunami in the late fifteenth century, and the Buddha has stood outdoors ever since, which is what makes it so striking. For a small extra fee you can usually step inside the hollow statue.

When to go

The temple opens from 8:00 until about 17:00. The first hour is quiet; from late morning, and all day at weekends, school groups and day trippers arrive. Early morning light on the green bronze is also the best for photographs. June brings hydrangeas to nearby temples, and late November the autumn colours.

Hase-dera and the rest of Kamakura

Hase-dera, a temple on the hillside with a view over the bay, is a ten minute walk from the Buddha. From there the day can continue to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine and the Komachi-dori shopping street, or along the coast to the island of Enoshima, about twenty minutes by car.

Getting there from Tokyo

Kamakura is about an hour to an hour and a half from central Tokyo by car. By train, the JR Yokosuka line takes about an hour to Kamakura, and the small Enoden line continues to Hase, the station for the Buddha. At weekends Kamakura's narrow roads and parking fill up, which is why a chauffeur who drops you at each temple and waits nearby makes a real difference.

By car, and the price

Our Kamakura private tour covers the Great Buddha, Hase-dera, the shrine and Enoshima in about eight hours from your Tokyo hotel, from ¥126,000 for the Toyota Alphard with up to four guests. Tolls, parking and fuel are included, and the price is confirmed in writing. Your chauffeur can speak English, Italian, Spanish, French or Japanese, at the same price.

See the full Kamakura private tour, with prices and itinerary →