It is an easy 10-15 minute walk from Kamakura Station to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and there are two main routes to get there. Both are worth taking! We took Komachi-dori to the shrine and Wakamiya-oji back.
A red torii gate is visible from the train station, beckoning you to walk through it and towards the shrine. The gate is at the southern entrance of Komachi-dori, a typical pedestrian shopping street that reminded me a little of Sensō-ji’s Nakamise-dori. It was crowded but less stressful than Nakamise-dori. Maybe it was a little wider? Or maybe it made a difference that we were going with the flow of traffic in Kamakura (towards the shrine) instead of against it like we did when we were leaving Sensō-ji? Whatever the reason, I found it more enjoyable to walk down this street.
The street is approximately 350 meters long and features over 250 shops, food stalls, and restaurants. We were immediately drawn to an adorable Studio Ghibli store right near the entrance to the street. We weren’t going to be able to fit the Ghibli Museum into our Tokyo itinerary so we were thrilled to stumble on this cute little shop. Walking down the stairs into Donguri Kyowakoku felt like you were headed into the forest and Totoro was perched in a tree outside to greet you. We loved all the Ghibli merchandise and purchased a few small souvenirs.
We wandered the length of the street, mostly window shopping or quickly popping into a few stores. At the end, we turned right to get to the main entrance to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, which was marked by a large torii gate and what seemed like an unnecessarily robust system of crosswalks.
The route we took back from the shrine runs parallel to Komachi-dori and involved taking the crosswalk that goes straight across from the main torii gate. Wakamiya-oji is a beautiful, wide avenue that is divided by Dankazura, a raised pedestrian pathway that runs down the middle of the street. From the top of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, you get an amazing view down the street. You can clearly see two red torii gates, with a mass of green trees filling the space between them.
It isn’t until you get down to street level that you realize that those green trees are actually a beautiful canopy over a pedestrian walkway. The trees that arch over the path are cherry trees and I can only imagine how stunning the path is during spring’s cherry blossom season. Even when not in bloom, we appreciated the shade they provided and the peaceful atmosphere they created.
There are a few breaks in the stone wall lining the path that lead to crosswalks in case you want to check out any of the shops along Wakamiya-oji. We were lured across the street by a crowd of people gathered outside a cool looking shop with no windows but plenty of birds. It turned out to be Toshimaya Honten, a Japanese sweets store. Their mascot is Hatobee, a cartoon pigeon, and their most famous treat is Hato Sabure, a pigeon-shaped butter cookie. We bought some and ate them later on the beach. They were delicious!
We hopped back across to Dankazura (with pigeon cookies in hand) and completed the length of the walkway. At the beginning (or in our case end since we were walking away from the shrine), there is the another torii gate and two komainu statues. Part lion, part dog, these statues ward off evil spirits. One features an open mouth (Agyō), making the sound “a”, which represents birth. The other has a closed mouth (Ungyō), making the sound “un”, which represents death. Together they represent the beginning and end of all things.
We really loved our visit to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and the experience was only enhanced by the two very different but equally enjoyable ways to get there. I would probably recommend doing it in the reverse order than we did. The approach on the tree-lined, elevated walkway with its komainu statues and red torii gates perfectly framing the shrine in the distance is really special. It is a more peaceful entry to the sacred site and sets the tone for a serene visit. But the lively Komachi-dori is worth experiencing as well. It’s a perfect spot to grab a bite to eat after exploring the calmer surroundings.
