Travel with Blueginger: Kamakura 3D2N @ Our Spiritual Healing Japan Trip 🗾🗻⛩️ 🗼🎎

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes memory.”

Today we will talk about Japan again! Where else? 😴😋
Before I really start, here is the sneak preview!

BF insisted on Japan though Boss actually suggested Europe. BF is really a die hard fan of Japan who really missed the weather and food here. He is going to be enlisted to the army soon so Boss gave in to him.

This trip was prepared in the rush rather than previous ones which I took at least 6 months to prepare. For this, I had only less than 2 months to do so due to unsure schedule from his school and working attachment therefore it was quite a challenge to book the accommodations as the dates we had chosen was the super peak - New Year period.

We will be spreading our footprints in Kamakura , Yamanashi (Mt Fuji) , Tokyo and Chiba. If you were to compare our current itinerary versus previous ones, this round is consider the shortest travelling distance. I remember the toughest was the 6 hours journey from Osaka airport to Takayama!

Back to here, the main focus of this trip is Yamanashi which I called it "Our Spiritual Healing Trip" where we spent countless moments gazing at Mt Fuji. We have not really touched Mt Fuji yet, the nearest was Hakone which was a few years back.

Kamakura is the Slam Dunk Manga destination if you are the fan.

Tokyo is an accidental trip, I was merely looking through the hotel and I accidentally clicked "Booked" which my credit card details are saved in the system. It is a "non-refundable" booking so no choice, we will stopover there.

The last city is Chiba which is where Narita airport is located, by right we can skip this place as it is very easy to go to airport from Tokyo but thanks to BF again, he want to visit the fairytale cave and Nissan Skyline specialist shop that are located here.

Read on to find out more .... 😄

With our assets of 3 luggage + 2 haversack + 1 handcarry bag + 1 handbag, we embarked onto our 6 hours journey to Haneda International Airport.

We just onboard JL 036 (BF want to fly on 777) and are on our way to The Land of Rising Sun. My boys are sleeping now, the people around are also sleeping except for me.

Guess I am to excited to sleep so since I have nothing to do, let's talk about our first destination in Japan - Kamakura(鎌倉).

Kamakura(鎌倉) is one of the most popular side trip destinations from Tokyo. There are quite a big handful of tourist attractions such as historical temples, monuments, shopping, Enoshima island and the beaches. To put it short, Kamakura is a small quiet seaside town located in the Kanagawa prefecture. With easy access from Tokyo by bus or train, Kamakura makes a lovely day trip for all season, well for us, we decided to stay for 3 days where we will explore the place slowly to our greatest interest.

Meanwhile Shonan (湘南) is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay which stretches along the Kamakura's area. There are several beaches make up the long coastal line where sea lovers gathers to enjoy themselves with the blue sea and Mt Fuji at the backdrop.

If you are a Slam Dunk Manga (灌篮高手) fan, I am sure you know about "神奈川" which is Kanagawa where Kamakura is.

Proud to admit, Boss and I are the fans of Sakuragi Hanamichi (樱木花道) and Kaede Rukawa (流川枫) respectively.

And we are going to places where you seen on the manga, exactly the places like that famous crossing of the railway track - Kamakura-koko-mae Crossing and Shōhoku High School (湘北高中).

It is already scheduled to visit these spot on our 2nd day early morning before tourist flocks in. We are not the only die hard fan of Slam Dunk. There are so many people out there as crazy as us too.

Our holidays begin here ....

I really appreciate the airport staff very much, they are so considerate that they will clean dry all the baggage from condensation and they will place them neatly on the belt like sushi, especially thoughtful that the staff will arrange the luggage handle facing out, making it easy for us to retrieve.

Bus Haneda Airport to Fujisawa Station(藤沢駅)

Hello Japan, we are here again!

Just only about 90 minutes and here we are.

This is a busy station as it service JR, Odakyu Electric Railway and Enoshima Electric Railway (Enoden).

Restaurants, cafes, malls are all here. Glad we chose this place as our home base.

While walking towards the hotel, I came across this special menu at a local ramen shop.

Hotel Hokke Club Shonan-Fujisawa

Address: 1-6-1,Kugenuma-Ishigami,Fujisawa,, Fujisawa, Kamakura, Japan 251-0025

The exploration of Kamakura is officially start!

First thing is to buy a day pass for Enoden and glad that Fujisawa station is the start point.

Enoshima Electric Railway / Enoden, Kanagawa Prefecture 江の島電鉄江ノ電, 神奈川県.

Here is my introduction about this retro railway.

If you ever saw the Slam Dunk Manga, you will surely see the characters with this vintage looking rail. This is the one we saw on the manga.

The Kamakura-Enoshima Pass is a great way to enjoy Kamakura and Enoshima, we bought ours at JPY600 per person.

Enoden or Enoshima Electric Railway is a railway that connects Kamakura Station and Fujisawa Station through the coastline of Shonan area. It’s very useful train to get around Kamakura and Shonan area since it stops at 15 numbers of stops, and the route includes several scenic view points and the whole journey lasts about 30 minutes from one point to the other point.

The small and retro train, Enoden is also very charming to look at, and it’s great sometimes to get off the train and enjoy photographing the train and the cool Shonan seaside scenery. Around Kamakura-Kokomae Station is a popular photo spot as the rail crossing appeared on the famous animation, Slam Dunk.

Different seasons offer different perspectives. In autumn and winter, Mount Fuji is clearly visible both from the trains and from the areas surrounding the stations.

In June and July, on the other hand, the many hydrangea gardens kept at many temples along the line are in full bloom. Don't expect any Mount Fuji sightings at that time of the year - they may happen though if you are exceptionally lucky.

A good starting point for the journey would be Fujisawa where our home based is. There are total 15 stations along this line . Below are the stations we stopped and explored in these 3 days here in Kamakura;

Enoden Stop Number 1 - Fujisawa(藤沢 )

We hopped onto the Enoden Railway, took a scenic ride all the way to the last stop number 15 which is Kamakura(鎌倉 )

I will say this is the city center in Kamakura as the main JR station of Kamakura is here as well the main shopping street as well. We will talk about the shopping street later as the first stop for us is:

Houkokuji Temple

Address : 2 Chome-7-4 Jomyoji, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0003, Japan

Took a 20min bus ride from a bus stop near to Komachi-dori.

Houkokuji Temple is by far the most beautiful temple in the Kamakura area. The temple is located in the mountains, with beautiful natural scenery.

There is a bamboo forest which is a must to visit, it just made us loss for words. Per person JPY600 admission fee , including a cup of hot green tea.

There is a teahouse located within this vegetation which is famous for the green tea.

Here we are having green tea with such gorgeous view in the cold winter.

The koi pond here.

We took the same bus back to Kamakura station where we explore the shopping street - Komachi-dori.

This busy street is located just outside of Kamakura station, due to it's easy access location, it attracts both tourist from international and domestic whether it is a weekday or weekend. Along this street, there are many great cafes, restaurants and shops which add more thrills to the visit to Kamakura. Komachi-dori starts adjacent to the Kamakura railway station and the end of this street will bring you to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. It is a nice shopping street that has many interesting shops (for locals and visitors). The merchandise varies from cheap souvenirs to expensive luxury items.

Our late Lunch

Next to visit is another interesting shrine.

Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine(銭洗弁財天宇賀福神社)

Address: 2 Chome-25-16 Sasuke, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0017, Japan

Quite a walk from Komachi-dori, about 20 minutes but this walk is worth because this is a shrine that is known for "washing your money" in the water here and soon your monies will multiplies.

I find this very interesting as this shrine has been here for 800 years and still attracts local worshippers.

Apart from this, while on our way here, we crossed through a tunnel and hiked up a hill and there are quite a few shrines located further up the hill. This place is very peaceful and complete with a waterfall nearby.

This is the snap of hiking up.. it is steep!

And I looked back and took this shot after I reached my destination.. panting...

There are alot of worshippers here. It is said that your money will multiply after washing your money here in the water.
Boss wash his whole wallet.

Next stop we went to see the best sunset here.

Enoden Stop Number 10 - Inamuragasaki(稲村ヶ崎 )

Cape Inamuragasaki

Address: Located in Inamuragasaki Park - 5 minutes walk from the station.

Inamuragasaki Cape - One of the best things here is the view of Mt Fuji. There are several spots here that offers the stunning view of Mt Fuji as I choose Inamuragasaki Cape (稲村ケ崎) which is located at the end of Yuigahama Beach of Kamakura. At this point, I can see the spectacular view of coastal line, the ocean, Enoshima Island and Mt Fuji on the background. The best viewing season is now which is the winter where the visibility is pretty high everyday.

We skipped our dinner tonight as we are still feeling full from our late lunch.

Went back hotel to sleep at 8pm due to we are super tired for our day 1.

Our First Breakfast here : Veloce Fujisawa Shop

Address: Japan, 〒251-0055 Kanagawa, Fujisawa, Minamifujisawa, 5−9 朝日生命藤沢ビル１F

This is a local chain coffee shop that this outlet here in Fujisawa is about 5 minutes walk from our hotel.

We ordered the same breakfast except for our drinks : Boss got regular coffee , BF got ocha and Mine is latte.

There are a lot of lone rangers here some are working adults who are here alone to grab a bite before heading for work, most are senior residents that are no longer working who are here alone to start their regular day. We are the only tourist here and also the biggest group, the place is so quiet that we do not even dare to talk slightly louder.

We went back to Enoden Fujisawa station again to start our day 2. Bought the day pass again at JPY600 and the 1st stop at 0800hr is Enoden Stop Number 8 - Kamakura-koko-mae(鎌倉高校前 )

We decided to spend some time roaming here while reliving our wonderful memories during the yesteryears. This area is a great place to see the ocean and Enoshima. Exit the ticket gate and follow the road along the track for about 50 meters, and you will arrive at the Kamkurakokomae railroad crossing that appears in the opening of the “Slam Dunk” manga series. Enjoy taking photos that bring back fond memories of the series!

Kamakura-koko-mae Crossing - The railroad crossing that appears in the opening of the still-popular basketball manga “Slam Dunk” (based on the original manga series by Takehiko Inoue) is on the Enoden line in Kamakura, and the stream of enthusiastic fans who visit there from all over the world is endless. It’s located just outside the ticket gate of Kamkurakokomae Station. Glad that we are early today that the crowd is much lesser. Yesterday when we passed by this place while we were on the train in the afternoon, this place is full of people.

While waiting for the next train to arrive, we played at the traffic light crossing.

Finally, this is the school of the manga - 湘北高中

In the real life it is Kamakura High School.

Enoden Stop Number 12 - Hase(長谷 )
This is a small but very busy station as this is where the 2 famous shrines located. And there is an 100 yen shop by the station.

First thing to do here is to fill up their tummies...

Café Terrace Itsuki Garden

Address: 917 Tokiwa, Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan (close on Tuesday)

Located in the hiking trail to Kamakura's Great Buddha, this was actually a private residence. Due to the location, lost hikers always wandered into the property and the host was so friendly that he was always ready to welcome them with a cup of tea and the use of the toilet.

Therefore he converted his private residence into a cafe that is open for the public.

We took the usual road to this place instead of the hike in the woods, it took us near 20 minutes walk from Hase station.

The café is located on the hill and we have to hike up the stairs.. a lot of stairs... be warned.

Mt Fuji can be seen a far distance!

Beautiful nature atmosphere. Outdoor sitting only, as this is Winter, the wind was pretty chilly and cold as we are high up on hill.

See these are what we ordered... the price is rather steep here. Understand that this is a high maintenance place. Glad that the food are tasty here. There parking lots are available at the base. Definitely worth a visit at least once though the price is a bit high!

Walking back from where we came from, walking through the neighbourhood feels really nice.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu)

Address : 4 Chome-2-28 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0016, Japan

Located in Kotokuin Temple Admission ticket : JPY200

The Great Buddha is located a 5-10 minute walk from Hase Station, the third station from Kamakura along the Enoden railway line.

With a height of 11.4 meters, The statue was cast in 1252 and originally located inside a large temple hall. However, the temple buildings were destroyed multiple times by typhoons and a tsunami in the 14th and 15th centuries. So, since the late 15th century, the Buddha has been standing in the open complex of Kotokuin Temple.

This bronze Buddha was cast in 1252. In 1498, a huge tidal wave swept away the whole temple but the statue remains unhurt.

There was a big earthquake in 1923 and only the base on the statue was damaged but the statue was still standing strong.

Hasedera Shrine

Address : 3 Chome-11-2 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0016, Japan

Just only 8 minutes walk from The Great Buddha of Kamakura.

Buddhist temple & gardens dating from the 8th century, with a huge wooden statue of the god Kannon. We stopped by at the main door to take a few photos as time was running out, we did not enter the shrine. From what we saw, this shrine is very popular with crowds.

Y Cafe (Old House)

Address: 24-20 Sakanoshita, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0021, Japan

This is an old private wooden house that converted to a public cafe located in a quiet alley which is 7 minutes walk from Hase station.

Not recommended for small children or loud groups, this place requires a quiet demeanour and a respect for harmony! Coffee was pretty good but the crème brulee tasted heavenly. Everything on the menu are hand made by this family.

Enoden Stop Number 6 - Enoshima(江ノ島 )

We stopped by this place is for the vintage feel of Enoshima Island.

Enoshima Pudding

Our late lunch - 紀伊国屋食堂

The real local food, they are so fresh ! And the price is so cheap, much cheaper than those restaurants in Komachi-dori.

White Bait Fish is a must try here.

Saw this hook at Lawson, it is so useful for those to shop at ease for while furry friends waited outside.

We strolled all the way from the station to the link bridge to the island. As the skies was turning dark, we did not go into the island.

After sun set ...

Enoshima Island, a small touristic island just slightly west of Kamakura, boasts some of the closest beaches to Tokyo (approx. 1 hr from Shinjuku Station). But that’s not the only enticing factor; Enoshima’s got a little bit of everything—parks, shrines, aquariums, local restaurants and even caves—making it the perfect all-in-one vacation spot as it is a great place to see the sun set and Mt Fuji during good visibility.

Meanwhile here are the names of the rest of the station names that we skipped visiting:

Enoden Stop Number 2 - Ishigami(石上 )

Enoden Stop Number 3 - Yanagikoji (柳小路 )

Enoden Stop Number 4 - Kugenuma(鵠沼 )

Enoden Stop Number 5 - Shonankaigankoen(湘南海岸公園 )

Enoden Stop Number 7 - Koshigoe(腰越 )

Enoden Stop Number 13 - Yuigahama(由比ヶ浜 )

Enoden Stop Number 14 - Wadazka(和田塚 )

Our 2nd dinner - a simple ramen at Ito Yokado departmental store that is next to my hotel.

And it tasted great too!

Day 3 is here, and it is time to bid good bye to Kamakura, next time when Boss come Yokohama to work again, I shall come along with him and we will return to Kamakura again!

Oh! There is a change on our assets , it is 3 luggage + 2 haversacks + 1 handbag now! We are 1 bag lesser and Boss said he is guaranteed our assets will be doubled in no days time.

We have reach to the end of my Kamakura trip. See you at the next blog of Mt Fuji where we stopover at Nissan GTR specialist shop located in Ebina , Kanagawa.. as per requested by BF... followed by MT Fuji where we will be on a deeper exploration.

Here are the links to my other blogs for our trips to Japan throughout these few years, to know more about what we had done here, you are most welcome to visit them at :

1) Yamanashi The Mt Fuji 5D4N @ Our Spiritual Healing Japan Trip : Coming soon, stay tune..

2) Tokyo 3D2N + Chiba 4D3N : Coming soon too, stay tune too...

3) Kagoshima, Sakurajima & Ibusuki : https://followblueginger.blogspot.com/2019/01/kagoshima-sakurajima-ibusuki-4d3n.html