Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kotoku-in)
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: October 16, 2026
The Great Buddha is a short, single-object visit: one bronze Amida Buddha in an open courtyard, with an optional ¥50 look inside the hollow statue. For most travelers it anchors a Hase half day with Hasedera Temple, five minutes' walk away, rather than justifying the trip on its own.
- Area
- Hase, Kamakura
- Best Time
- Soon after the 8:00 AM opening
- Best For
- Iconic landmarks, Photography, History, First-time visitors
Visiting Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kotoku-in)
The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) is the bronze Amida Buddha of Kotoku-in, a Jodo-shu temple in the Hase district on Kamakura's coastal side. The statue dates from the mid-13th century and survives close to its original form.
Its open-air setting is a historical accident, not a design choice. The wooden hall that once covered the statue was damaged repeatedly by storms and was lost in the late 15th century, and it was never rebuilt. Kotoku-in points out that sitting outdoors makes it unusual among Japan's large Buddha statues. Reinforcement of the base in the 1960s improved its earthquake resistance without recasting the bronze.
It is smaller than Nara's Great Buddha at Todai-ji, which is older and sits inside a hall; Kotoku-in publishes like-for-like figures for the two, given in the FAQ below.
The grounds are compact: an approach, a paved courtyard framed by wooded hills, the statue at its center, a temple store and a few monuments. One secondary hall, Kangetsu-do, has been closed since October 2024 for dismantling and repair, with rebuilding targeted for 2027, and its Kannon statue cannot be viewed until then. That does not affect the Great Buddha or the courtyard.
Is the Great Buddha worth a trip on its own?
Short answer
Worth seeing on almost any first Kamakura day, but rarely worth a special journey by itself. The visit is one statue in one courtyard, and the city tourism association's model routes allow about 40 minutes for it. It earns the Enoden ride when you add Hasedera, five minutes away, which the same routes give about 50 minutes.
Make it a priority if
- It is your first time in Kamakura and you want to see the city's signature image in person.
- You want a 13th-century bronze statue that still sits outdoors, which Kotoku-in notes is unusual among Japan's large Buddhas.
- Steps are hard for you: the temple has a ramp beside the steps up to the statue, a wheelchair-accessible restroom and wheelchairs to borrow.
- You will also see Hasedera on the same trip to Hase; Hasedera or the Great Buddha compares the two if you only have time for one.
It may feel too brief if
- You expect a large temple complex: beyond the statue there is little to explore, and Kangetsu-do hall is closed until its planned 2027 rebuilding.
- You have only a couple of hours near Kamakura Station: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is a 10-minute walk from the station, while Hase is an Enoden ride and a walk away.
- You arrive after about 4:20 PM hoping to go inside; interior entry stops before the grounds close.
- You planned a picnic: eating and drinking are prohibited on the grounds.
Is going inside the statue worth ¥50?
Short answer
Yes, for most visitors, as long as you expect bare bronze rather than a decorated hall. Kotoku-in explains that the large grid pattern on the inner walls shows the statue was cast in about 40 separate pours. The interior opens 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM all year, earlier than the grounds close, so a late-afternoon arrival can miss it.
- Hours
- 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM year-round; enter at least 10 minutes before it closes.
- Cost
- ¥50 per person on top of grounds admission. Preschool children are admitted free.
- What you see
- The joins between the cast sections. Kotoku-in notes that three different joining techniques were used depending on the part of the statue.
- Photos
- The temple allows personal photos on the grounds but asks visitors not to use selfie sticks inside the statue. Its media FAQ states that filming the interior is prohibited, so ask staff before recording video inside.
- Accessibility
- The temple's barrier-free route reaches the statue, but it does not describe step-free access inside it; plan on the interior not being wheelchair accessible.
Combining the Great Buddha with the rest of Hase
Short answer
Hasedera, five minutes away on foot, is the natural pair, and the Hasedera guide holds the full Hase half-day route. The other stops below each need more walking or a train ride.
About 5 minutes on foot
Hasedera Temple
Hasedera Temple adds what Kotoku-in lacks: several halls, a cave, gardens on a slope and a terrace over the bay. It needs stairs and more time.
About 30 minutes on foot
Zeniarai Benten Shrine
Kotoku-in puts Zeniarai Benten Shrine, the money-washing cave shrine, about 30 minutes' walk away.
On foot or one Enoden stop
Yuigahama Beach
Yuigahama Beach is a free coastal stop on the way back toward Kamakura: walk down to the shore, or ride one Enoden stop to Yuigahama. Best on a clear late afternoon after the temples.
Better on another day
Enoshima on a temple-heavy day
Enoshima Island is a further Enoden ride west and a half day in itself. Pair it with Hase only if you are skipping central Kamakura.
What to look for at the Great Buddha
Read the Statue's Hands and Face
The hands form the jobon josho-in, which Kotoku-in describes as the highest-ranking of the nine mudras of Amida Buddha, with a web-like membrane between the fingers. The nose runs straight from the forehead, so the nostrils can only be seen from directly beneath, and traces of the gold that once covered the statue remain on both cheeks. Step back to the sides of the courtyard to see the hands clearly.
Find the Giant Straw Sandals
On the inside wall of the corridor to the right as you face the statue hangs a pair of straw sandals 1.8 meters long and weighing 45 kilograms. Children in Hitachi-Ota, Ibaraki Prefecture, first wove them in 1951 so that the Buddha could walk around Japan bringing happiness, and since 1956 their children's club has made a new pair every three years.
Look at the Nio Gate on the Way In
The entrance gate carries the temple's formal name, Daii-san, and houses a pair of Nio guardian figures. Kotoku-in says the gate and its guardians were moved here from another site and rebuilt at the beginning of the 18th century.
Collect a Temple Seal
The temple office issues a printed commemorative seal for ¥300 between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM. Kotoku-in no longer writes seals directly into books.
How to Get to Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kotoku-in)
Kotoku-in is in Hase, three stops along the Enoden from Kamakura Station. How to Get to Kamakura compares the JR routes and fares from Tokyo, Shinjuku and Yokohama.
From Tokyo, Shinjuku or Yokohama
Take JR to Kamakura Station: the Yokosuka Line runs direct from Tokyo Station and Yokohama, and Shonan-Shinjuku Line trains serve Shinjuku and Shibuya. Change to the Enoden at Kamakura Station.
Kamakura Station to Hase by Enoden
Take the Enoden bound for Fujisawa to Hase Station, the third stop, about 7 minutes. Kotoku-in is about 7 minutes' walk from Hase Station.
By Bus from Kamakura Station
From the East Exit, take the Enoshima Electric Railway bus from stop 1 or the Keikyu bus from stop 6 to Daibutsu-mae, about 10 minutes.
From Fujisawa or Enoshima
Take the Enoden bound for Kamakura to Hase Station, about 40 minutes from Fujisawa, then walk about 7 minutes.
By Car
Kotoku-in has no parking. Use public parking nearby or come by train.
Best Time to Visit Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kotoku-in)
Soon after the 8:00 AM opening.
- •Kamakura's official congestion map, linked by the city tourism association, forecasts crowding at major sights by hour for the week ahead.
Entry Fee & Hours
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult / Junior & Senior High School Student (age 13+) | ¥300 | ~$2 |
| Elementary School Student (ages 6-12) | ¥150 | ~$1 |
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| All visitors | ¥50 | ~$0.35 |
- •Eating, drinking and bringing food or drink into the grounds are prohibited.
- •Leaving the grounds and coming back means paying admission again.
- •Personal photos are welcome; drones are prohibited.
- •The grounds have ramps beside the steps up to the statue, but many areas are bumpy, so the temple asks wheelchair users to come with a helper. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at the ticket counter from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (return by 4:30 PM), and there is one unisex wheelchair-accessible restroom.
- •Pets must stay in carriers; assistance dogs are welcome.
Nearby Attractions
Distances from Kotoku-in. Combining the Great Buddha with the rest of Hase explains which of these pair well.
Hasedera Temple
Yuigahama Beach
Zeniarai Benten Shrine
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Enoshima Island
The Great Buddha on a short visit
If you only want the statue, this is the whole trip from Kamakura Station. For the standard Hase half day with Hasedera, use the Hasedera route; to arrive on foot over the hills from Kita-Kamakura, use the Engaku-ji walking route. Times follow Kotoku-in and the city tourism association.
Great Buddha only, from Kamakura Station and back
About 70 minutes of riding, walking and visiting, plus waits for the Enoden. Adding Hasedera costs about another hour.
Start
Enoden from Kamakura Station to Hase, the third stop, about 7 minutes, then about 7 minutes on foot to Kotoku-in.
At Kotoku-in
Allow about 40 minutes. After 4:00 PM, go inside the statue first: interior entry stops at 4:20 PM.
Return
Walk back to Hase Station and take the Enoden to Kamakura, about 7 minutes each. Buses between Daibutsu-mae and Kamakura Station East Exit take about 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
View references
Kotoku-in
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