Togakushi vs Kamakura

I know that these two are very different in terms of vibe and type, but I still need a different perspective from others, presumably from those who have been to two of this area.

Experience wise, in Julyc is it better for me to spend a day in kamakura and go to matsumoto afterwards; or visit the togakushi shrine and go to matsumoto directly?

Thank you

My own choice would definitely be Togakushi. It will likely be much less crowded and less hot than Kamakura. To me Togakushi is above all a nature spot; Kamakura not so much. I suppose there is gmore to doh in Kamakura, but if you like to hike and be out in nature itfs hard to beat Togakushi.

gVery differenth, to say the least. I cannot imagine the two places even being compared. You are comparing apples to spinaches.

There are several written reports and videos on this site about both places. Rainafs video on Togakushi is a must watch: https://youtu.be/xtTU0tkFl_k

To me personally, I was not as impressed as others about Togakushi, where I went last December. I have been to Kamakura many times before. After the trip I wondered why I was not so impressed as others, and I thought perhaps because I have been to Californiafs Redwoods National Park so the cryptomeria trees in Togakushi did not seem that tall. I donft know for sure.

Kamakura is a tourist town, for reasons. There are lots to see and many shops to browse and eat, and access is easy from Tokyo.

If you have never been to either places, my initial reaction is to recommend Kamakura.

You must have your own reasons to consider Togakushi, so trust your own instinct.

Before anyone answers this question - it's really important to look at where is your starting location.

Why am I asking? Well - both locations require a large amount of travel if you are finishing up at Matsumoto.

For example - Kamakura is roughly 4 hours (1 way from Matsumoto) via public transport.

Matsumoto is around 70 minutes from Nagano station - but then Togakushi shrines are multiple buses which will take 2-4 hours combined "IF" th buses allign. That's a lot of travel to visit a couple of temples or shrines for a day.

I have been to both in various seasons including summer and winter with lots of snow for Nagano-ken. Along with the previous posters, yes, they are very different and it ultimately depends on what you are after in terms of an experience.
I would also note that Kamakura could be combined with Enoshima (which I like as a day trip out of Tokyo), and probably I would say Kamakura/Enoshima has more to offer as a destination. But Togakushi (maybe combine with Zenkoji in Nagano city) is also an option for an interesting day - especially if you like the hike from (say) the middle shrine up to the top shrine.
However, doing this starting in Tokyo and ending in Matsumoto is the "weird" bit to me. That is a lot of travelling and back-tracking. Tokyo to Nagano is quick and Nagano to Matsumoto is easy (an hour), but the bus to Togakushi and back, walking to the upper shrine and visiting the Ninja museum (if interested) takes quite a while. Same with Kamakura, getting back to Shinjuku and then the express train to Matsumoto. I recently did a bit of research for a trip up in Nagano/Gifu with late afternoon/early evening train back to Tokyo and while not particularly late, the travel at the end of the day was a bit of a drag. On that basis, probably the Nagano/Togakushi would be more achievable if the bus timetables work. The Kamakura option sounds like a really long day.