3rd Day (Sunday-6 April 2025) Tokyo to Kamakura

Today we left our travel cases to be transported to our ending hotel, loaded the bikes with touring gear, rode to Tokyo Station, folded & bagged the bikes for train travel, and took the 1 hour ride to Kamakura. 

Bikes & Bags. We split up, 5 per rail car. This is 4 bikes and bike bags.

Kamakura is a seaside Japanese city just south of Tokyo. The political center of medieval Japan, modern-day Kamakura is a prominent resort town with dozens of Buddhist Zen temples and Shinto shrines. Its most recognizable landmark is the Kotoku-in Temple’s Great Buddha, a roughly 13m-high bronze statue still standing after a 15th-century tsunami. Yuigahama Beach on Sagami Bay is a popular surfing spot.

Often referred to as “the Kyoto of the east,” Kamakura is a seaside city about a one-hour train ride from Tokyo. Its history dates back to the late 12th century when Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147 - 1199) founded the Kamakura shogunate (1185 - 1333), Japan's first military government, which ruled much of the country. The mountains and sea that surround the city served as a natural fortress for fending off enemy attacks, and the Kamakura shogunate thrived for nearly 150 years, partly because of this strategic location. Many shrines and Zen temples dedicated to the guardian deities of the samurai were built in Kamakura. During the Edo period (1603 - 1867), Kamakura became a popular destination for the people of Edo (present-day Tokyo) for its shrines, temples, and beaches with stunning views of Mt. Fuji.

On arrival, we unfolded the bikes outside the station in a light rain and rode to our lodging at Inn-by-the-Sea. Alex's friend, Michael Hoover and 3 local Brompton riders, met us for an afternoon ride visiting Kamakura temples. The mist turned to solid rain. Kamakura was bustling, but Alex said the Sunday crowds were smaller than in prior years, mainly due to the rain. 

Dog of the Day. Nana, daughter of our our host, is proud of her young poodle. I shared Lily's photo with her. We are staying in adjacent B & B's. Kamakura has relatively limited lodging options, as many visitors are on day trips from Tokyo and do not stay overnight. 

My Ramen Lunch. We biked in steady rain to a nearby ramen house. We ordered individual meals at a kiosk at the entrance, paid by card or cash, and were issued a ticket. We waited for seating, and then they collected the tickets. A lot of guess work was involved. I think we were served the correct drinks but ramen bowl looks alike. All were delicious.

Ramen House. With a bike parking area.

Our first stop was a local ramen restaurant for lunch, then a Shinto shrine, Zen nudist Temple, and another Shinto Shrine. We returned to the B & B, showered, and walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner. 

Dankazura Walkway.

Raingear

Kencho-Ji Temple. Kenchō-ji is a Rinzai Zen temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, which ranks first among Kamakura's so-called Five Great Zen Temples and is the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan. These temples were at the top of the Five Mountain System, a network of Zen temples started by the Hōjō Regents.

These statues with the scarlet hats/scarves are associated with women who have miscarried or aborted. 

Scott, my Hawaiian roomie in Kamakura. Two things in common to start: 1) Riding Bike Fridays; 2) Oldest. Eliete thought Scott resembled Willie Nelson, giving Scott another moniker.

Our second temple was Houkokuji. 

Hōkoku-ji is an old temple in the Kenchō-ji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism located in Kamakura, Japan. Famous for its bamboo garden, it is also known as "Bamboo Temple". A statue of Gautama Buddha, called Shaka Nyorai in Japanese, in a sacred hall is the temple's principal image.

Dinner was at Teishoku-ya Shamoji. We all ordered in advance, nearly all of us selecting sashimi. Most of us had 4 kinds of tuna plus another local fish that was in season.