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Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Kamakura

The vermilion Maiden stage and main hall of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu up the pine-framed stone approach
Photo: Ocdp, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Hours
Roughly 6:00–20:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h
With kids
Fine with kids
Treasure hall
¥200; 9:00–16:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Peony garden
Spring and winter, about ¥500
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Highlights
The main hall, Maiden stage, ponds
Getting there
10 minutes on foot from Kamakura Station
Coordinates
35.32608, 139.55642YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

1063the year Minamoto no Yoriyoshi founded the shrine
Sourcejapan-guide.com
1180Minamoto no Yoritomo moved it to its present site
Sourcejapan-guide.com
Hachimanpatron god of the Minamoto clan and the samurai
Sourcejapan-guide.com
2 million+visitors at New Year
Sourcejapan-guide.com
Yabusamehorseback archery — in April and September
Sourcejapan-guide.com
2 pondsGenji and Heike either side of the approach
Sourcejapan-guide.com
Freeentry to the shrine
Sourcejapan-guide.com
10 minuteson foot from Kamakura Station
Sourcejapan-guide.com

What is Tsurugaoka Hachimangu?

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is Kamakura's main Shinto shrine. Minamoto no Yoriyoshi founded it in 1063, and in 1180 Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Kamakura shogun, moved it to its present site and enlarged it. It's dedicated to Hachiman, patron god of the Minamoto clan and of all samurai.

Central Kamakura is laid out around the shrine: from the sea a broad avenue, Wakamiya Oji, leads to it, with the raised Dankazura path and several torii gates. The main hall stands on a terrace at the top of a wide stone staircase, and at its foot is the vermilion Maiden stage for dance and music.

Entry and hours

Entry to the shrine is free; according to guides, the grounds open roughly 6:00 to 20:00. The small treasure hall at the main hall — swords, masks, documents — costs ¥200 and opens 9:00 to 16:00.

Either side of the approach are two ponds: Genji, with three islands, and Heike, with four, named after two great clans of Japan. A peony garden surrounds the Genji pond; it opens in spring and winter for about ¥500. In summer the ponds fill with flowering lotus.

What to see

  • The main hall at the top of the stone staircase.
  • The Maiden stage at the foot of the stairs.
  • The Genji and Heike ponds — lotus in summer.
  • The peony garden — spring and winter.
  • Wakamiya Oji avenue and the Dankazura path.
  • Wakamiya Shrine to the right of the stairs.

How to get to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

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Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

More tips

  1. From Kamakura Station — about 10 minutes on foot along the Komachi-dori shopping street.
  2. Along Wakamiya Oji — parallel to Komachi-dori, on the Dankazura path.
  3. From Tokyo — JR Yokosuka line to Kamakura, about an hour.
  4. From Kita-Kamakura — about 20 minutes on foot past Kencho-ji.
  5. From Enoshima — Enoden to Kamakura, about 25 minutes.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu or Meiji Jingu

Tsurugaoka Hachimanguyou are hereKamakura11th–12th centuryFreeStaircase, ponds, yabusame
Meiji JinguTokyo1920FreeForest and cypress gates

How long do you need?

An hour is enough for the shrine: walk the approach, climb to the main hall, look from the terrace down the avenue to the sea, and go round the ponds. The shrine is the centre of Kamakura, so it combines easily with almost everything: Komachi-dori, Kencho-ji temple, the Hokoku-ji bamboo grove.

To the left of the staircase a huge ginkgo once stood, older than the shrine itself. A storm brought it down in 2010, but new shoots rose from its roots — and they're growing in the same spot.

In autumn the ginkgos turn yellow and the maples red, and in spring cherry blossom lines the Dankazura path. In the morning, before 9:00, there are hardly any tourists, and you can climb the stairs to the main hall without the crowds.

Is Tsurugaoka Hachimangu worth visiting?

Yes: it's the heart of Kamakura, entry is free, and the view from the stairs down the avenue to the sea is one of the city's finest.

The YesGo take: at weekends and on holidays the shrine is very crowded, especially at the stairs. Come early in the morning or towards evening. Walk there along Komachi-dori and back along the quiet Dankazura path to see both busy and peaceful Kamakura.

Before you go: checklist

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Kamakura temples: compare and choose

Temples and shrines in Kamakura rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kōtoku-in)4640 min¥30037 min walk
Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrineyou are here441 hFree—
Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine4430 minFree23 min walk
Sasuke Inari Shrine4330 minFree28 min walk
Hōkoku-ji Temple (Bamboo Temple)3845 min≈ ¥40022 min walk
Kenchō-ji Temple381 h≈ ¥50011 min walk
Engaku-ji Temple371 h¥50026 min walk
Hase-dera Temple351 h 15 min¥40045 min walk
Enoshima Island343 hfree; tower and caves ≈ ¥5007.5 km

Kamakura in a day

The Great Buddha and Hase-dera in the morning, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine at midday, and the Komachi-dori shopping street in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kōtoku-in)40 min · ¥300
  2. 10 min walk from the previous stopHase-dera Temple1 h 15 min · ¥400
  3. 45 min walk from the previous stopTsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrineyou are here1 h · free
  4. 11 min walk from the previous stopKomachi-dori Street45 min · free

4 places · about 4 h 46 min with walks · 66 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Komachi-dori Street

Kamakura, Japan

45 min · free · 11 min walk

Kenchō-ji Temple

Kamakura, Japan

1 h · ≈ ¥500 · 11 min walk

How to do it right

  • Entry is free.
  • Come in the morning.
  • The treasure hall is ¥200.
  • Walk back along the Dankazura path.
  • On the way: Komachi-dori.

Questions

How much is entry to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu?

Entry is free; the treasure hall is ¥200.

What are the opening hours?

Roughly 6:00–20:00.

Who is the shrine dedicated to?

Hachiman, patron of the Minamoto clan and the samurai.

When was it founded?

In 1063; it moved to its present site in 1180.

How do I get there?

10 minutes on foot from Kamakura Station.

When is yabusame?

In mid-April and mid-September.

How long do you need?

About an hour.

What's nearby?

Komachi-dori street, Kencho-ji temple and Hokoku-ji.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • japan-guide.com — history, halls, ponds, peony garden, yabusame, hours, treasure hall (via curl 09.11.2026; unofficial; hachimangu.or.jp didn't load)
  • English Wikipedia: Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū
  • Wikidata Q701403 — coordinates
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 09.11.2026 ·
How we checkedThe official site didn't load from the server, so the history, hours, prices and festivals are from japan-guide.com; hours and prices are marked 'being checked'. Time needed is the YesGo estimate.

Top YesGo picks: Kamakura

Engaku-ji Temple

Kamakura, Japan

1 h · ¥500

Hase-dera Temple

Kamakura, Japan

1 h 15 min · ¥400

Enoshima Island

Kamakura, Japan

3 h · free; tower and caves ≈ ¥500

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