When I was writing this book and researching Tokyo and the surrounding areas, I remembered when my husband and I went to visit Kamakura on our trip to Japan in 2005.
Kamakura is such a beautiful town, nestled into hillside and mountain right next to a bay on the ocean. I can still close my eyes and remember the streets of this town, the train station, the udon place we ate at, the many cemeteries and temples we happened upon. I think this is a town I would like to live in. It has a small town charm, yet still cosmopolitan. Quiet and located near the beach. I think it has pretty much everything.
This charming coastal town holds a place of profound significance in Japanese history, serving as the birthplace of the country's first military government. In 1185, the warrior Minamoto no Yoritomo chose Kamakura as the seat of his shogunate, establishing Japan's first feudal government and ushering in what would become known as the Kamakura period (1185-1333). Yoritomo strategically selected this location not only for its natural defenses — surrounded by hills and mountains with only narrow passes for access — but also for its proximity to the sea, which provided both trade opportunities and escape routes if needed.
The Kamakura shogunate marked a revolutionary shift in Japanese governance, moving political power away from the imperial court in Kyoto to a military-based system that would influence Japan for centuries to come. During this nearly 150-year period, Kamakura attracted not only samurai and political figures but also Buddhist monks who established many of the temples and shrines that still grace the town today.
The legacy lives on in the numerous historical sites scattered throughout Kamakura's quiet streets — the same streets where visitors today can still sense the weight of history while enjoying the town's timeless appeal.
When I needed a place for Masa's grandparents to live, someplace not in Tokyo but close enough to get on the train and travel there, I chose Kamakura. It's only about an hour on the train to get there and a new place for Isa and Masa to spend time away from the ryokan, even if it's only for an afternoon.
They don't get a chance to sightsee, but let me tell you a little bit about the town and why it's a great place to visit.
It is the town of many temples! And if you enjoy visiting temples, ogling over the architecture and the peacefulness, even praying or centering yourself for a short time, this is the place to go. I especially loved the Giant Buddha.
You can light incense and waft the smoke over yourself, purifying your soul.
If you have time, head up the mountain and visit Hase-dera, a temple devoted to Jizō where all the Jizō statues line up and await a small gift or some stones to carry into the afterlife. This is a popular destination with people who have lost a child as praying here to these statues helps lift the burden of children in the afterlife.
And then on your way back to the station, pop into all the little cemeteries you find along the way. You'll see a little slice of life and death you've never seen in a Western cemetery.
Kamakura is one of my favorite places! I'm glad I had the chance to write it into Summer Haikus.
This looks like a nice town to visit. I didn’t realize from the book it was that clsoe to the beach or maybe I forgot that aspect.
And wow that Budha is giant! I would love to visit Japan once, everything looks so different; the style of the houses, buildings, the architecture. I probably will never visit it in real life, but at least I have your books to get an idea of the country and culture.
That’s one of the things I love about reading, the chance to visit places in a book I probably won’t see in real life.
I feel the same way about writing these stories! They give me the chance to visit places again or for the first time. It’s a lot of fun. I’m glad I can do that for you too!
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