# Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine, Kamakura > Zeniarai Benzaiten is a shrine in a hollow of Kamakura's western hills, entered through a tunnel in the rock. People wash coins and notes in the spring water of a cave — legend says the money then doubles. Entry is free, open roughly 8:00–16:30. It's 25–30 minutes uphill on foot from Kamakura Station. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/zeniarai-benzaiten - City: [Kamakura](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura), Japan - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Hours: Roughly 8:00–16:30, last entry 16:00 - Highlight: Washing money in a cave spring - Way in: Through a tunnel in the rock - Nearby: Sasuke Inari — 10 minutes; trail to the Great Buddha - Getting there: 25–30 minutes uphill from Kamakura Station - Coordinates: 35.32580, 139.54200 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **'Coin washing'** — the meaning of the name Zeniarai (source: japan-guide.com) - **Doubles** — money washed in the spring, by legend (source: japan-guide.com) - **Yoritomo** — the first shogun ordered the shrine built, by tradition (source: japan-guide.com) - **The Snake** — his dream came on the day, month and year of the Snake (source: japan-guide.com) - **Benzaiten** — goddess of fortune and wealth, linked to snakes (source: japan-guide.com) - **Free** — entry to the shrine (source: japan-guide.com) - **25–30 minutes** — on foot from Kamakura Station (source: japan-guide.com) - **Tunnel** — through the rock leads into the shrine (source: travel guides) ## What is Zeniarai Benzaiten? **Zeniarai Benzaiten**, 'Benzaiten where money is washed', is a shrine in a narrow hollow among Kamakura's western hills. You enter through a **tunnel cut in the rock**, and inside is a courtyard with torii gates, small halls and a cave with a spring. By tradition, the first shogun **Minamoto no Yoritomo** ordered the shrine built after a god appeared in his dream and advised him to build it for peace in the land. The dream fell on the day, month and year of the **Snake**, so the shrine was also dedicated to **Benzaiten**, the goddess of fortune and wealth associated with snakes. > **How to wash your money** Take a wicker basket at the entrance and buy incense and a candle. Set the candle down and light the incense, then in the cave put your coins or notes in the basket and pour spring water over them with a wooden ladle. The washed money, the belief goes, should be spent on something good — then the luck comes back. ## Entry and hours According to guides, entry to the shrine is **free**, and it opens roughly **8:00 to 16:30**, with last entry at 16:00. Incense and candles for the ritual are sold at the entrance for a small fee. The shrine is a rare surviving example of the fusion of Shinto and Buddhism: Benzaiten came to Japan through Buddhism, but here she's worshipped in a Shinto shrine with torii gates. ## What to see - **The rock tunnel** — the way into the hollow. - **The cave with its spring** — where money is washed. - **Torii gates** in the courtyard. - **The shrine's small halls.** - **The Daibutsu trail** — to the Great Buddha. - **Sasuke Inari** — 10 minutes away. ## How to get to Zeniarai Benzaiten 1. **From Kamakura Station** — west exit, about 25–30 minutes on foot north-west, the last part uphill. 2. **Taxi** — about 10 minutes from the station to the tunnel. 3. **From Sasuke Inari** — about 10 minutes on foot. 4. **From the Great Buddha** — about 30 minutes along the Daibutsu trail over the hills. 5. **From Kita-Kamakura** — along the Daibutsu trail, about an hour. ## Zeniarai Benzaiten or Sasuke Inari | | Zeniarai Benzaiten | Sasuke Inari | | --- | --- | --- | | Highlight | Washing money in a cave | Red torii and white foxes | | Entry | Free | Free | | Crowds | Many at weekends | Fewer | | Distance | 10 minutes apart | 10 minutes apart | ## How long do you need? **30 minutes** is enough for the shrine itself: walk through the tunnel, set a candle and wash your money. With the walk from the station, about an hour. It's almost always combined with neighbouring **Sasuke Inari** shrine and the **Daibutsu trail**, which leads over the hills to the Great Buddha. The climb to the shrine is steep, especially the last few hundred metres — you'll want comfortable shoes. Weekday mornings are quiet; at weekends a queue with baskets forms at the cave. If you carry on along the Daibutsu trail, allow 30–40 minutes through woods with roots and steps. It's slippery after rain, so in wet weather it's better to return to the station and take the Enoden to the Great Buddha. ## Is Zeniarai Benzaiten worth visiting? Yes: the rock tunnel and the money-washing ritual make it one of Kamakura's most unusual places, and it's free. The YesGo take: the uphill walk is tiring, and at weekends the cramped hollow is busy. If you're short on time, choose the Great Buddha and the Hase temples. But if you love unusual places and walks, link the shrine with Sasuke Inari and the Daibutsu trail — it makes a great afternoon. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Coins or notes for the ritual - [ ] Change for incense - [ ] Comfortable shoes — a climb - [ ] Last entry 16:00 - [ ] Sasuke Inari nearby ## Kamakura temples: compare and choose Temples and shrines in Kamakura rated by YesGo. - [Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kōtoku-in)](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/kamakura-great-buddha) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ¥300 - [Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/zeniarai-benzaiten) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free - [Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/tsurugaoka-hachimangu) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · free - [Sasuke Inari Shrine](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/sasuke-inari) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free - [Hōkoku-ji Temple (Bamboo Temple)](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/hokoku-ji) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ ¥400 - [Kenchō-ji Temple](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/kencho-ji) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥500 - [Engaku-ji Temple](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/engaku-ji) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥500 - [Hase-dera Temple](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/kamakura-hase-dera) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥400 - [Enoshima Island](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/enoshima) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · free; tower and caves ≈ ¥500 ## Kamakura's hills in half a day Sasuke Inari shrine with its white foxes in the morning, then Zeniarai Benzaiten, and along the trail to the Great Buddha. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Sasuke Inari Shrine](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/sasuke-inari) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free 2. [Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/zeniarai-benzaiten) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free 3. [Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kōtoku-in)](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/kamakura-great-buddha) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · ¥300 ## Good to know Zeniarai Benzaiten is not the Benten shrine on Enoshima or the Benten hall in Ueno Park. It's also called Zeniarai Benten. ## Tips - Take a basket at the entrance. - Spend the washed money on something good. - The final climb is steep. - Last entry 16:00. - Nearby: [Sasuke Inari](https://yesgo.io/japan/kamakura/sasuke-inari). ## Questions ### How much is entry to Zeniarai Benzaiten? Entry is free; incense and candles cost a little. ### What are the opening hours? Roughly 8:00–16:30, last entry 16:00. ### Why do people wash money? Legend says money washed in the spring doubles. ### How do I wash money? Put it in a basket and pour spring water over it with a ladle. ### How do I get there? 25–30 minutes uphill on foot from Kamakura Station. ### How long do you need? About 30 minutes; an hour with the walk. ### What's nearby? Sasuke Inari and the Daibutsu trail to the Great Buddha. ### Who built the shrine? By tradition, the shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. ## How we checked The legend, hours, entry and access are from japan-guide.com; hours are marked 'being checked'. The ritual and tunnel are from guides. Distance from the Great Buddha is from the Kotoku-in site. Time needed is the YesGo estimate. ## Sources - japan-guide.com — legend, Benzaiten, hours, free entry, access, trail (via curl 09.11.2026; unofficial) - Kotoku-in official site (kotoku-in.jp) — route from the Great Buddha, about 30 minutes - Travel guides — the money-washing ritual, tunnel (unofficial) - Wikidata Q642681 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.