Visit Japan Web invites you to explore Kamakura. It was Japan’s political hub when Minamoto Yoritomo selected it as the headquarters for his new military government. After the downfall of the shogunate, Kamakura saw a temporary decline. However, during the Edo period, it regained popularity as a tourist destination among the townspeople of Edo. Until the early Meiji period, the Hase area only had small urbanized settlements. Till this day, the bustling downtown area of Kamakura is still not yet formed.

In the early Meiji period, the Kamakura County was established in Koshigoe with jurisdiction including present-day Kamakura City. After the mid-Meiji period, it was often used as a recuperation place or the site for villas.  It changed its development goal to a tourist area only after the Showa period. Therefore, it is difficult to see buildings from the Middle Ages onward in the area. But it preserves Middle Ages architectural relics of greater cultural value. Today, Kamakura City is known as a residential area of Tokyo.

Despite suffering significant losses of historical and cultural assets due to the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, Kamakura continues to be one of the major tourist attractions in the Kanto region. Presently, Kamakura is a petite yet highly sought-after tourist spot. It is often referred to as the Kyoto of eastern Japan due to its wealth of temples, shrines and historical landmarks. Additionally, the city’s sandy beaches attract large crowds during the summer season.

Here are some places of interest that Visit Japan Web recommends.