神奈川県 Kanagawa
Located in the South-West of Tokyo, Kanagawa is known as the commuter town of Tokyo, but it also holds a core role as an industrial town in the Keihin industrial district. Additionally, the prefecture holds many features including places such as Miura Pennisula, famous for its Miura Radish; Odawara, famous for its boiled fish paste; Zushi with its beaches; and famous towns of Hakone, Manazuru and Yokohama.
There are many attractive sites in Kanagawa, but I shall introduce Kamakura for today. Kamakura is known for the land which Minamoto Yoritomo opened the Kamakura Shogunate in 1192. Walk along the long, central road of Wakamiya-Oji that stretches out from Zaimokuza Bay to Tsuruoka-Hachimangu, where many temples and shrines are gathered in narrow spaces between the mountains. As Kyoto and Nara, the town enables you to feel the history of Japan. Located in the backstreet of Wakamiya-Oji, near the Kamakura Station, is a shopping district called Komachi-dori. Here you will find Kamakura’s souvenirs of pickles, rice-crackers and Japanese accessories, and between these souvenir shops, there are ice creams and crepes shops that attract many tourists and students on school excursions. After strolling around the Komachi-dori, you must visit Tsuruoka Hachimangu. If you climb the stone steps next to the large ginkgo where the third shogun, Minamoto no Sanetomo was assassinated, you will find that the shrine pavilion stands as if it is looking down at the town of Kamakura. After paying respects, why not take a chance at drawing an omikuji? In any shrine, there is usually hardly any “ill luck (kyou”,) but when I visited here for Hatsumoude (for New Year’s), I’ve pulled out “kyou” for two years in a row. What are the chances of that!
In any way, why not enjoy Kanagawa, where all the various attractions of Japan are condensed in one area.
