Kamakura - our last day trip

Kamakura was on the agenda today – and this time not just for the two of us, but for three. Our host also had time on our last full day and accompanied us. Yes, you read that right: Tomorrow we head back home. This is also the last substantive post before our departure. But let's first return to today.

Kamakura is about 90 minutes away from our accommodation and is perfect for a day trip. Upon arrival, we went straight to lunch – Tonkatsu. This is a breaded and fried pork cutlet that is usually served in strips in Japan, along with finely shredded white cabbage, rice, and a thick, slightly sweet Tonkatsu sauce. The restaurant opened at 11 am, and we were right on time for the opening. Luckily, because no less than 15 minutes later the place was completely full, and new guests had to wait in the waiting area. A very good decision – and a very good meal.

Well-satiated, we set off to our first temple: Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, the most important Shintō shrine in Kamakura. It is situated on a slight elevation and is surrounded by extensive grounds. On the way there, we passed the Genji Pond, where some seagulls linger, which – just like the deer in Nara – are surprisingly tame and quite aggressive in searching for food. A pigeon even landed on my shoulder, even though I had absolutely nothing edible with me.

We then walked about 20 minutes to Hōkoku-ji Temple, known for its bamboo grove. Our first small bamboo grove on this trip – calm, dense, almost meditative. While we strolled through the bamboo, the coffee nerd had great fun filming me. I already know that this material will someday be used against me. But it was nice anyway.

As it should be, the obligatory coffee followed before we made our way to the last shrine on our Kamakura list – on the other side of the city.

There awaits one of the most famous sights in the region: the Great Buddha of Kamakura (Daibutsu). Just in time for our arrival, the sun also appeared again, although it was a bit cooler than in the previous days. The Buddha, standing freely under the sky, seems very calm and impressive despite (or perhaps because of) its size.

After that, we headed back towards the station, as we had something special planned for the evening: the sunset at Enoshima, a small island nearby. So, we hopped on the train and traveled along the coast toward the island.

On the bridge to Enoshima, we finally positioned ourselves, so the coffee nerd could film the sunset. Initially, we had planned to go all the way to the island and right to the water, but we were just a tad too late for that. However, the view from the bridge was still fantastic – sea, sky, slowly fading light.

After sunset, a small illumination festival awaited us on the island.

While exploring Enoshima, we discovered some beautiful shrines, statues, a bell that you could ring – and even a nice encounter with a real island dweller: a tanuki that briefly crossed our path.

Eventually, hunger struck again. Our search led us to a small sushi place, where we had nigiri for the second time in Japan – this time complemented by a few maki. A very solid conclusion for the evening.

Well-satiated, we returned to the station and from there back to Tokyo. Knowing that soon there would be no good ramen left for us, we made one last detour to our trusted ramen shop and treated ourselves – almost as a bonus – to a small bowl on top.

We were back in the apartment around 10:30 pm. The day had a lot going on, and thus ended our last full day in Tokyo.

Tomorrow it's time to head back home.