Kamakura Private Tour: Temples, Nature, and the Great Buddha

A quiet and serene Zen temple surrounded by forest, the Jochiji temple was built in 1281 by Hojo Tokoyori, a leader of the Kamakura Shogunate, in order to honour his son who had died young. It is nice to stroll through the grounds of this temple, enjoying the lush flowerbeds and bamboo groves. Remember to rub the belly of the statue of Hotei, as this is said to bring you good fortune.

Enjoy the beautiful nature around the pass.

Next you will walk along the Daibutsu Hiking Course through the mountains until you reach a mysterious hole in the hillside, framed by a torii gate. Go through that hole and you'll find the Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine. Built in 1185, the shrine strongly emits the scent of incense and is filled with a rare blend of both Shinto and Buddhist monuments. Explore until you find a small cave with a natural spring bubbling inside. Here, people wash their money in the spring's water as it is said that money washed in spring will double in the summer.

According to legend, the first Shogun of Kamakura Minamoto Yoritomo was visited in his dream by a white fox (known as Inari) who advised him how to win a battle against his enemies. Emerging from the battle victorious, Minamoto built the Sasuke Inari Shrine in gratitude. Set in the mountains surrounded by dense green forest, there you can find a tunnel comprised of over 100 red torii gates, just like Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. The shrine also contains hundreds of mini white inari foxes and the site of an ancient "hidden village".

The great Kamakura Buddha stands at 13.35m tall and weights about 121 tonnes. The construction of the bronze statue of Buddha as it appears today dates from 1252. It is one of the biggest Buddha statues in Japan and is definitely worth seeing. You can even enter inside the great statue.

Hasedera Temple is located about halfway up Mount Kamakura. The temple, therefore, has excellent views south over the ocean and the picturesque Yuigahama Beach. During June and July you can see the grounds full of blooming hydrangeas. Hasedera is home to a 9.18m tall Kannon statue with 11 heads - one of the largest wooden Buddhist statues in Japan. There is also a small but spooky and atmospheric cave to explore in the gardens.

The beach faces south so you are always going to see the sun over the ocean from this point. Relax and chill here and catch the lovely views! During summer there is an open air market called the Umi-no-ie which is good to check out.