Demonstration Course 4: Literati
Trace the footsteps of “Literary Giants” who were active in Kamakura
The first step in the revival of literature began in Kamakura, where literary masters gathered.
【Point 1】
Under wartime conditions, the “Kamakura Bunshi” stood up to protect literature.
In the Meiji to Showa eras, many literary masters lived in Kamakura and were called “Kamakura Bunshi” (Kamakura Literati.) During wartime speech repression, they united beyond their ideologies and aimed to revive literature through initiatives such as founding literary magazines.
*Kamakura Museum of Literature is closed for renovations until March 31, 2027.
【Point 2】
The Kamakura Bunshi preserved the region’s scenery while also creating new culture.
The achievements of the Kamakura Bunshi went beyond literature. They led efforts to protect Kamakura’s historic scenery and created events like the Bonbori Festival, preserving and enhancing the region’s beauty.
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course 4: Trace the footsteps of “Literary Giants” who were active in Kamakura START Kamakura Station
❶ Komyoji Temple
❷ Myohonji Temple
❸ Hasedera Temple
GOAL Daibutsu (Great Buddha) of Kamakura in Kotoku-in
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*Travel time is an estimate.
START Kamakura Station
| Address |
1-15 Onari-cho, Kamakura-shi（Open Google Maps＜外部リンク＞) |
|---|
Bus: Board at Kamakura Station East Exit Platform 7, get off at “Komyoji,” and walk for 1 minute
❶ Komyoji Temple
The main hall is the largest of Kamakura’s existing Buddhist halls. After the war, “Kamakura Academia,” which produced many cultural figures, was established here, and a monument remains on the temple grounds.
| Address |
6-17-19 Zaimokuza, Kamakura City（Open Google Maps＜外部リンク＞） |
|---|---|
| Opening Hours | 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from October 15 to March 31) |
Bus: Board at “Komyoji,” get off at “Shogakkomae,” and walk for 10 minutes
❷ Myohonji Temple
A temple in Hikigayatsu surrounded by lush greenery. Crabapple depicted in Kobayashi Hideo’s “Recollections of Nakahara Chuya” is in full bloom in April.
| Address | 1-15-1 Omachi, Kamakura City（Open Google Maps＜外部リンク＞） |
|---|---|
| Opening hours |
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
Bus: Board at Kamakura Station East Exit Platform 1 or 6, get off at “Hase kannon,” and walk for 5 minutes
❸ Hasedera Temple
It is said to have been founded in 736, this temple houses one of Japan’s largest wooden Buddha statues and includes a monument to the residence of critic and thinker Takayama Chogyu, who spent his last years here.
| Address | 3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura City（Open Google Maps＜外部リンク＞） |
|---|---|
| Opening hours |
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from April to June) /Reception is until 30 minutes before closing. *Admission fee required. |
12 mins Walk
GOAL Daibutsu (Great Buddha) of Kamakura in Kotoku-in
The only national treasure-designated Buddha statue in Kamakura. In the grounds of Kotoku-in is a monument inscribed with a poem by Yosano Akiko praising the beauty of the Great Buddha.
| Address |
4-2-28 Hase, Kamakura City（Open Google Maps＜外部リンク＞） |
|---|---|
| Opening Hours |
8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from October to March)/Admission is until 15 minutes before closing. *Admission fee required. |
＜外部リンク＞
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＜外部リンク＞