Kamakura, Kanagawa

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**Kamakura**
**鎌倉市**
Kamakura's location in Kanagawa, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Kanagawa
Physical characteristics
Area	39.60 km² (15.29 sq mi)
Population (as of January 2008)
Total	173,588
Density	4,380 /km² (11,344 /sq mi)
Location	35°19′N, 139°33′E
Symbols
Tree	Yamazakura (Prunus jamasakura)
Flower	Gentian
Flag
Kamakura Government Office
Mayor	Tokukazu Ishiwata
Address	〒248-8686 18-10 Onarimachi, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken
Phone number	0467-23-3000
Official website: Kamakura City

Kamakura (鎌倉市, Kamakura-shi^?) is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan, about 50 km south-south-west of Tokyo (to which it is linked by the railway line to Yokosuka).

It is sometimes considered a former de facto capital of Japan, as the seat of the Regent and Shogunate during the Kamakura Period. According to The Institute for Research on World-Systems,^[1] Kamakura was the 4th largest city in the world in 1250 A.D., with 200,000 people, and Japan's largest, eclipsing Kyoto by 1200 A.D.

As of January 1, 2008, the city has an estimated population of 173,588 and a density of 4,380 persons per km². The total area is 39.60 km².

Kamakura was designated as a city on November 3, 1939.

1 Description
2 Famous locations
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Description

Crowds of visitors in Kamakura
(Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine)

Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in

Surrounded by mountains on three sides and the open water of Sagami Bay on the fourth, Kamakura is a natural fortress. During the Heian period it was the chief city of the Kantō region, and from the 12th through 14th centuries the Minamoto shoguns ruled Japan from here under what is known as the Kamakura Shogunate.

Kamakura is now mainly known for its temples and shrines. Kōtoku-in, with the monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha, is the most famous of these. A 15th Century tsunami destroyed the temple that once housed the Great Buddha, but the statue survived and has remained outdoors ever since. Magnificent Zen temples like Kencho-ji and Engaku-ji; the Tokei-ji (a nunnery that was a refuge for women who wanted to divorce their husbands); the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine; the Hase-dera, an ancient Kannon temple; the graves of Minamoto no Yoritomo and Hōjō Masako; and the Kamakura-gu where Prince Morinaga was executed, top the list of Kamakura's most famous historical and religious sites.

Kamakura has a beach which, in combination with the temples and the proximity to Tokyo, makes it a popular tourist destination. The city is well-provided with restaurants and other tourist-oriented amenities.

Kamakura is home to a microbrewery. The beer produced is only available locally and in bottles, and the range includes a pale ale, a pilsner style lager, and a stout.^[2]

Kamakura is also noted for its senbei, which are crisp rice cakes grilled and sold fresh along the main shopping street. These are very popular with tourists, especially Japanese tourists.

Kamakura is also the terminal for the Enoshima Electric Railway, locally known as "Eno-den". This traditional narrow gauge railway runs to Fujisawa, to the west, and part of its route runs parallel to the seashore.

[edit] Famous locations

View of Mt. Fuji from the beaches along Kamakura

Kenchō-ji

Ankokuron-ji
Anyō-in
Chōshō-ji
Engaku-ji, ranked Number Two among Kamakura's great zen temples
Jōchi-ji, ranked Number Four among Kamakura's great zen temples
Jōmyō-ji, ranked Number Five among Kamakura's great zen temples
Jufuku-ji, ranked Number Three among Kamakura's great zen temples
Hase-dera
Kanagawa Prefectural Ofuna Botanical Garden
Kenchō-ji, ranked Number One among Kamakura's great zen temples
Kōtoku-in temple and its Great Buddha
Kuhon-ji
Meigetsu-in
Moto Hachiman Shrine
Ōfuna Kannon [1]
Tatsunokuchi, where Mongol emissaries were beheaded and buried.
Tōkei-ji, famous in the past as a refuge for battered women
Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine
Wakamiya Ōji Avenue, with its three beautiful torii and cherry trees
Yuigahama, a popular beach
Zaimokuza Beach
Zeniarai Benten Shrine, where visitors go to wash their coins

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Kamakura

[edit] References

^ Cities, Empires and Global State Formation. Institute for Research on World-Systems]
^ Kamakura Beer. Kamakura Beer Brew, Co. Accessed January 25, 2008.