Kamakura City is located in the southern part of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on the western side of the Miura Peninsula. It faces Sagami Bay to the south and borders the cities of Yokohama, Fujisawa, and Zushi. Geographically, Kamakura is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on one, making it a naturally fortified city that has historically been easy to defend and difficult to attack.
This city holds significant historical importance as the site of Japan’s first samurai government—the Kamakura Shogunate. Established by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1192, the shogunate ushered in the Kamakura period, which lasted for approximately 150 years, during which Kamakura became the political and cultural center of the nation. During this period, the Kamakura Kaidō road system was developed to facilitate transportation and military logistics, and the renowned “Kamakura Gozan” (Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura) were established, highlighting the city’s religious and cultural prominence.
From the mid-Muromachi period onward, Kamakura gradually declined, especially after Nitta Yoshisada, in response to Emperor Go-Daigo’s call to overthrow the shogunate, successfully toppled the Hōjō clan in 1333. This led to Kamakura’s loss of political centrality. According to a 1953 archaeological survey by Hisashi Suzuki, a large number of human bones bearing sword wounds were unearthed in the city, providing evidence of the fierce battles that took place.
During the late Edo period, although local temples and shrines continued to attract pilgrims, Kamakura did not undergo significant urban development. In the early Meiji period, the city remained a collection of small settlements, such as the Hase area. From the mid-Meiji period onward, Kamakura gradually transformed into a place for recuperation and vacation homes, and during the Shōwa era, it firmly established itself as a tourist destination.
In 1939, Kamakura was officially designated as a city. Today, Kamakura is not only a well-known tourist spot but also a residential area within the Greater Tokyo Area, forming part of the Shōnan region. While it may not be as modernized as other major cities, this has allowed Kamakura to retain a wealth of medieval ruins and cultural heritage, such as the Great Buddha of Kōtoku-in and Hase-dera Temple, enriching the city with a profound historical and cultural atmosphere.
