An English Guide to Kamakura’s Temples & Shrines

We knew the Big Buddha wasn’t the only religious artifact in Kamakura, but we had no idea there were a full 170 (Buddhist) temples and 40 (Shinto) shrines scattered around the city. Of these, 119 are profiled in a new English book, “An English Guide to Kamakura’s Temples & Shrines,” written by two long-term local residents.

The meticulously researched work is divided into seven districts, each with a sample itinerary for the dedicated culture buff. The small, black-and-white photos aren’t much to look at, but then again, the book itself is small enough to fit in a large pocket and guide you to the actual sights.

Other sections include a brief history of the area, sidebars on the finer points of temple-hopping like “omikuji” (fortune-predicting strips of paper) and ema (votive wooden tablets), plus write-ups on attractions like the “10 Famous Wells of Kamakura.” (Beau Miller/Metropolis)

Additional Information:

1,575 yen. Available from Ryokufu Shuppan through Amazon Japan
(www.amazon.co.jp)

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2 Comments

jmarc at 06:18 PM JST - 26th September

170 temples ? woua.. it would take more than a day then i guess to visit it all. I did only 4 temples last time i cam during a day.
neverknow2 at 01:01 AM JST - 1st October

Yeah but obly 119 are worth stopping to look at!