🎐Kamakura's ancient temples and the Great Buddha🎐

📍 Start: Kita-Kamakura Station 14:00 PM (1 stop before Kamakura Sta.)
This is the JR Yokosuka Line and Shonan-Shinjuku Line
If you are coming from Tokyo, it's best to get off at the front of the train.
📍Participation fee ¥1,000 (cash) + additional entrance fees for the temples (~¥450)

## 🧭 Total Distance: ~6 km

## 🕓 Estimated Time: ~3–4 hours (including breaks)

## Highlights:

### 1. Tokei-ji – The Divorce Temple

• Known as a refuge for battered wives in the Old times
• Has a serene and beautiful ancient cemetery

### 2. Choju-ji – Secluded Zen Temple

• Once the family temple of Ashikaga Takauji.
• Tucked away, this temple gives the group a sense of discovery and history.

### 3. Kamegayatsu-zaka Kiridoshi

• A lesser-known but beautiful pass used since the Kamakura period.
• Descending this cut-through feels like stepping into the past.

### 4. Kaizo-ji – Temple of Peace and Light

• Known for its peaceful garden and lesser crowds. (fee ¥100)
• Great spot for a short rest or quiet reflection.

### 5. Keiwaizaka Kiridoshi

• Another ancient path, with rugged stone walls and historic atmosphere.
• This one was historically a “minor gate” into the city—perfect for the “hidden route” theme.

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### 🥢 Lunch Break

• Near the Zeniarai Benten area, where there are flat spots to sit and have lunch or nearby benches.
• Participants can bring their own bento.

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### 6. Zeniarai-Benten Shrine – Money-Washing Spring Shrine

• A sacred spring cave where coins are ritually washed.
• Ideal to include a small interactive moment (water ritual).

### 7. Sasuke-Inari-Jinja – Fox Shrine

• A mystical forest shrine accessed via red torii gates.
• A short meditative walk through forested paths, often uncrowded.

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### 8. Daibutsu Hiking Trail

• Connects Sasuke Inari area with the Great Buddha.
• Forested, lightly rugged, and scenic — a great mid-level trail.
• Offers views of Kamakura’s hills and perhaps even Mt. Fuji on a clear day.

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### 9. Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha) – Finale

• Iconic and rewarding end-point. (fee ¥300)
• Optionally, participants can enter the Buddha (fee ¥50).
• Nearby cafés make a nice wind-down spot for the group.