Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: October 16, 2026
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is free, about 10 minutes' walk from Kamakura Station, and the shrine the medieval city was laid out around, so it belongs in almost every first visit. The planning question is when: it works best as the first or last stop of a station-area loop with Komachi Street. The tourism association allows about 40 minutes; the only real climb is the Great Stone Steps to the main hall.
- Area
- Yukinoshita, Kamakura
- Best For
- Shinto shrines, Cherry blossoms, History, Festivals
Visiting Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is the shrine around which Minamoto no Yoritomo built Kamakura. Its origin is a shrine to Hachiman that his ancestor Minamoto no Yoriyoshi founded at Yuigahama in 1063; in 1180, the year Yoritomo made Kamakura his base, he moved it inland to its present site. The shrine served as guardian of the shogunate, and rituals the shogunate held here, including Yabusame mounted archery and the Hojoe, still take place at its September festival.
The grounds are arranged on two levels. At ground level stand Wakamiya, the lower shrine, and the Maiden, an open pavilion used for ceremonies and weddings through the year. Above them, the Great Stone Steps climb to Hongu, the main hall, where three deities are enshrined: Emperor Ojin, Empress Jingu and Himegami.
Three ticketed places share or adjoin the grounds and are easy to confuse: the shrine's own Treasure Hall (Homotsuden); the Kamakura Museum of National Treasures (Kamakura Kokuhokan), which is run by Kamakura City; and the separate Kamakura Bunkakan Tsurugaoka Museum. Everything else is free. Hours and fees for all three, and the city museum's renovation notice, are under Entry Fee & Hours.
Choosing your approach from Kamakura Station
Short answer
From Kamakura Station's East Exit, two parallel streets lead to the shrine in about 10 minutes. Wakamiya Oji, with its raised Dankazura walkway, is the shrine's own straight approach; Komachi Street, one block west, is the narrow shopping street. Walk up one and back down the other.
- Wakamiya Oji and Dankazura
- The shrine describes Wakamiya Oji as a straight 2 km avenue from Yuigahama, built on Yoritomo's orders as the first step in laying out the town. From the station you join it partway. The raised central walk, the Dankazura, is lined with cherry trees and brings you to the torii at the shrine entrance. Choose it for a quicker walk on the raised path, away from the shops.
- Komachi Street
- Komachi Street runs parallel from the station's East Exit and is packed with shops and food stalls; it is slower when busy. Choose it when food or shopping is part of the plan, and note the city's request not to eat while walking.
Where the walking and climbing are
Short answer
Most of the shrine is level: the approach, Genpei Pond, Wakamiya and the Maiden. The one climb is the Great Stone Steps, about 60 steps (sources give 61 or 62), up to Hongu. The steps have no ramp or elevator, but you can pray at the Maiden below if you cannot climb.
Entrance and Genpei Pond
Through the torii at the end of the Dankazura, the two ponds lie on either side of the path. The Treasure Hall and the museums are off to the sides of the grounds.
Maiden and Wakamiya
At ground level. The Maiden is used for festivals, ceremonies and weddings; Wakamiya, the lower shrine, stands nearby.
Turn back here if you cannot manage stairs. The Maiden and Wakamiya are reachable without the steps.
The Great Stone Steps
Short and steep. The shrine notes a panoramic view over Kamakura from here, reaching the Pacific and Izu Oshima on clear days. The shrine's "Parent" and "Child" ginkgo trees are nearby.
Hongu (main hall)
The main hall, where most visitors pray. Hongu and Wakamiya are designated Important Cultural Properties. Amulets and seals are usually available from 8:30 AM, even though the gates open at 6:00 AM.
Where the shrine fits in a Kamakura day
Short answer
Put the shrine at the start or the end of the day, because it sits on foot from Kamakura Station while Hase and Kita-Kamakura need a train or bus. A common first-visit shape is the shrine and Komachi Street in the morning, then the Enoden to Hase for the Great Buddha and Hasedera.
Give it priority if
- You want the history that ties Kamakura together: the shogunate's guardian shrine and the axis of the town plan.
- You are working from Kamakura Station and want a free stop that needs no extra transport.
- You are visiting in late March or early April for the Dankazura cherry trees, or on 14 to 16 September for the festival and Yabusame.
Spend the time elsewhere if
- You have already seen major shrines in Tokyo or Kyoto and came for Zen temples: give the hour to Engaku-ji or Kencho-ji.
- You want gardens and a sea view: Hasedera Temple in Hase has both.
- You only have a half day and are staying in Hase: the Great Buddha and Hasedera fill it without a train back to the station.
Same walk from the station
Komachi Street
Use it as the approach or the way back, for food after the shrine.
Enoden from Kamakura Station, about 7 minutes
Great Buddha and Hasedera
The usual second half of a first visit: Hase is the third Enoden stop.
JR to Kita-Kamakura, then on foot or by bus
Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji
Start at Kita-Kamakura and end at the shrine; see the route on the Engaku-ji guide.
Better on another day
All three areas plus Enoshima
The shrine, Kita-Kamakura and Hase already fill a day. Leave Enoshima for another day or a shorter Kamakura plan.
Things to Do at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
See the Maiden and the Shizuka Gozen Story
The Maiden, or Shimohaiden, stands where Shizuka Gozen is said to have danced for Yoshitsune in defiance of Yoritomo. Today it is used for festivals, ceremonies and weddings through the year.
Visit the Treasure Hall
The shrine's own Treasure Hall (Homotsuden), open 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, shows shrine-owned objects for ¥200. It closes occasionally to change exhibits.
See the Kamakura Museum of National Treasures, Separately
The city-run Kamakura Kokuhokan sits on the grounds but is not part of the shrine, and admission depends on the exhibition, ¥400 to ¥1,000 for adults. It was scheduled to reopen on 24 October 2026 after a renovation closure; see the note under Entry Fee & Hours.
Walk Around Genpei Pond
Genji Pond has three islands and Heike Pond four, a symbolic pairing of the Minamoto and the Taira. Hata-age Benzaiten shrine sits on an island in Genji Pond, and a strolling peony garden beside it is busiest when the New Year and spring peonies bloom.
Take Part in Shrine Traditions
Omamori charms and omikuji fortunes are offered at the shrine office, usually from 8:30 AM. At New Year, visitors carry hamaya, arrows that ward off evil, named after a lacquered arrow the shrine counts among its National Treasures.
How to Get to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
The shrine is at the north end of Wakamiya Oji. How to Get to Kamakura compares the JR routes from Tokyo and Yokohama.
From Kamakura Station
About 10 minutes on foot from the JR East Exit or the Enoden station, along Wakamiya Oji or Komachi Street.
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.
From Kita-Kamakura
Take an Enoden bus bound for Kamakura Station to the Hachimangu-mae stop, or walk down the road past Kencho-ji.
By Car
The shrine car park (40 cars) is open 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM and charges ¥600 for the first hour, then ¥300 per 30 minutes.
Best Time to Visit Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Early morning, when the gates are open from 6:00 AM; late March to early April for the Dankazura cherry trees; 14-16 September for the festival.
- •Gates open at 6:00 AM, but amulets, seals and the Treasure Hall start later (8:30 AM and 9:00 AM).
- •The Kamakura Bunkakan Tsurugaoka Museum is closed on Mondays.
Cherry trees line the raised Dankazura walk to the shrine.
Lotus flowers bloom across Genpei Pond within the shrine grounds.
The Reitaisai festival brings larger crowds and some road closures near the shrine, closing with the Yabusame mounted archery ritual on the final day.
Entry Fee & Hours
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥200 | ~$1.50 |
| Child (elementary school) | ¥100 | ~$0.70 |
The shrine grounds are free. The shrine publishes the Treasure Hall's hours but not its fee online; ¥200 for adults and ¥100 for children is the most recently reported price. The Kamakura Museum of National Treasures (Kamakura Kokuhokan) is run by Kamakura City and charges ¥400 to ¥1,000 for adults depending on the exhibition. The Kamakura Bunkakan Tsurugaoka Museum on the grounds sets its own admission per exhibition and opens 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM, closed on Mondays.
- •Ramps reach the lower grounds and the Maiden, but the Great Stone Steps to Hongu have no ramp or elevator; visitors who cannot climb can pray at the Maiden below.
- •Kamakura City closed the Kamakura Museum of National Treasures for renovation on 19 May 2026 and scheduled its reopening for 24 October 2026, with a reopening exhibition planned to 6 December 2026. Confirm on the city's museum page that it has reopened, and what is showing, before you plan around it.
Nearby Attractions
Combine with Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine on the same day
Komachi Street
Kenchoji Temple
Hokokuji Temple
Engaku-ji Temple
Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kotoku-in)
Two ways to fit the shrine into a first Kamakura day
Both start from Kamakura Station and use only walking and the Enoden. Times on site follow the city tourism association's model routes.
Shrine morning, Hase afternoon
Kamakura's two busiest areas without backtracking.
Morning
Walk up Wakamiya Oji from the East Exit to the shrine, about 10 minutes, and allow about 40 minutes on site.
Late morning
Back to the station along Komachi Street for lunch.
Afternoon
Enoden to Hase, about 7 minutes, for the Great Buddha and Hasedera Temple.
Kita-Kamakura temples, ending at the shrine
For travelers who want Zen temples as well.
Morning
Midday
Enoden bus from Kenchoji to Hachimangu-mae, about 2 minutes, then the shrine.
Afternoon
Down Wakamiya Oji or Komachi Street to Kamakura Station.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
View references
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
Kamakura City Tourism Association
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