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Home - Travel - Sightseeing Guide - Kanto - Kamakura
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
# 2   of 14 sights
in Kamakura

Main hall (top of stairs) and dance stage (front)

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is Kamakura's most important shrine. It was founded by Minamoto Yoriyoshi in 1063, and enlarged and moved to its current site in 1180 by Minamoto Yoritomo, the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura government.

The shrine is dedicated to Hachiman, the patron god of the Minamoto family and of the samurai in general. The deified spirits of the ancient Emperor Ojin who has been identified with Hachiman, Hime-gami and Empress Jingu are enshrined at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

The shrine is reached via a long, wide approach that leads from Kamakura's waterfront through the entire city center, with multiple torii gates along the way. The main hall (Hongu or Jogu) stands on a terrace at the top of a wide stairway. The main hall includes a small shrine museum, which displays various treasures owned by the shrine, such as swords, masks and documents.

Dankazura approach in spring
Ginkgo tree in autumn

To the left of the stairway stands a large ginkgo tree, which predates the shrine, and was once used as a hideout in an ambush attack on a shogun. Every autumn, around early December, the tree turns beautifully golden. At the base of the stairway stands the Maiden, a stage for dance and music performances. Other structures on the shrine grounds include the Wakamiya Shrine, a secondary shrine to the right of the stairway and various auxiliary buildings.

Flanking the main approach to the shrine are two ponds. One pond represents the Minamoto Clan and has three islands, while the other represents the Taira Clan, the Minamoto's arch rivals, and has four islands, as the number four can be pronounced the same as "death" in Japanese. A garden, known for its peonies, surrounds the Minamoto Pond halfway. It is open seasonally in spring and winter (500 yen).

Various events are held at the shrine throughout the year. During the New Year holidays, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is with over two million visitors one of the country's most popular shrines for hatsumode (the year's first visit to a shrine), and in mid April and mid September, horseback archery (yabusame) is performed along the main approach to the shrine.

The shrine approach seen from the main hall

How to get there
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine can be reached from Kamakura Station either through the busy Komachi-dori shopping street, or along the Dankazura, a pedestrian path in the center of Wakamiya Oji Street that is lined with several hundreds of cherry trees. Via either route, the walk from Kamakura Station to the shrine takes about 10-15 minutes.

How to get to and around Kamakura

Hours and Fees
Hours:6:00 to 20:30
Closed:No closing days
Admission:Free (shrine museum: 200 yen)

News and Reports
Kamakura Autumn Color Report
December 2, 2009
Kamakura Cherry Blossom Report
April 8, 2009

Travel Community
Popularity of Hachimangu Shrine:
Users who have been to Kamakura: 1026
Users who have been to Hachimangu Shrine: 398

2nd of 14 most visited sights in Kamakura.
58th of 589 most visited sights nationwide.

Have you been to Hachimangu Shrine?

Ratings for Hachimangu Shrine:
japan-guide.com Rating:
  outstanding  
User Rating (by 208 users):
84/100
  recommended

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Tours and Packages
Kamakura Walking Tour
Guided day trip from Tokyo to Kamakura.

Japanese Links
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Official website.

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