Kimono in Kanagawa: Where to Wear It, Best Photo Spots and How to Plan the Day
Kimono in Kanagawa: Kamakura's Great Buddha, Hasedera hydrangeas, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Hakone's lake torii, Yokohama Sankeien, Asakusa timings and OlaChill.
Sep 14, 2026·✍️ olablog·⏱ 6 min read
Kimono in Kanagawa: Kamakura's Great Buddha, Hasedera hydrangeas, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Hakone's lake torii, Yokohama Sankeien, Asakusa timings and OlaChill.
Kanagawa: the old capital an hour south
Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first shogunate, and its temples are older than most of Kyoto's. The town is small, the hills are close, the sea is at the end of the main street, and on any weekend a good share of visitors are in kimono. Beyond it, Hakone gives you a torii standing in a mountain lake and Yokohama gives you a garden of relocated temples in the middle of a port city.
For OlaChill guests in Tokyo, Kamakura is about an hour from the city and one of the few day trips where you can leave Asakusa dressed and be back before we close. The timings are below, along with the honest note about Hakone.
The spots
Kotoku-in Great Buddha (高徳院 鎌倉大仏)
The 13-metre bronze Buddha has sat in the open since a tsunami took its hall in 1498. The courtyard is flat paving. Morning light from the east is the kind one; afternoons are backlit. From Hase Station on the Enoden line it is a seven-minute walk.
Hasedera (長谷寺)
Five minutes from the Buddha, this hillside temple has an 11-headed Kannon, a sea view from the upper terrace and, in June, more than 2,500 hydrangeas along a hillside path. The hydrangea path is stone steps and narrow; in peak June weeks it operates a ticketed queue. The lower garden and the terrace are easy in zori.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (鶴岡八幡宮)
The city's main shrine, at the end of a long straight avenue from the sea. The raised central path, Dankazura, is lined with cherry trees in late March. The main hall sits at the top of a broad stone staircase of 61 steps. Yabusame horseback archery is held here on 16 September and in April during the Kamakura Festival.
Hokoku-ji bamboo garden (報国寺) and Komachi-dori
Hokoku-ji's bamboo grove has a teahouse where you sit with matcha among the stalks; paths are moss-edged stone. Komachi-dori is the shopping street from the station, flat, busy and full of rental kimono, so you will blend in.
Hakone Shrine (箱根神社)
The "peace torii" stands in Lake Ashi with the mountains behind, and there is usually a queue for the photo on the small jetty. The shrine itself is up a cedar staircase. Hakone is about two hours from Asakusa with a change at Shinjuku for the Odakyu Romancecar; realistic only with next-day return.
Yokohama Sankeien (三渓園)
A silk merchant's garden with historic buildings moved from Kyoto and Kamakura, including a three-storey pagoda on the hill. Flat paths around the pond; late November maples and mid February plum.
| Spot | Best time | Access | Crowd level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Buddha | Weekday mornings | Enoden to Hase, 7 min walk | High from 11:00 |
| Hasedera | June hydrangea, late Nov maple | 5 min from Great Buddha | Very high in June |
| Tsurugaoka Hachimangu | Late March sakura; 16 Sept yabusame | 10 min walk from Kamakura Station | High |
| Hokoku-ji | Any season, mornings | Bus 10 min from station | Low |
| Hakone Shrine | Clear mornings | 2 h from Asakusa, bus from Hakone-Yumoto | High at the lake torii |
| Sankeien | Late Nov, mid Feb | Bus from Negishi or Yokohama | Low |
Seasons and festivals
Kamakura is coastal and mild. Late March cherry along Dankazura, June hydrangeas at Hasedera and Meigetsu-in, late November maples at Hasedera and Hokoku-ji. Summer is humid; a yukata is right for the Kamakura fireworks in mid July. The Kamakura Festival in mid April and the September yabusame are the two days when kimono feels most at home.
Where OlaChill fits in: the Asakusa to Kamakura day
OlaChill has no shop in Kanagawa. Our shops are Tokyo Asakusa and Kyoto Kiyomizu, open 09:00 to 18:00, and dressing and return happen only there. Kamakura, however, is workable:
- 09:00 dressing at Asakusa (30 to 45 minutes).
- 10:00 Asakusa Line through-service to Shinagawa, then JR Yokosuka Line to Kamakura, about 75 minutes in all.
- 11:30 to 15:00 Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Komachi-dori lunch, Enoden to Hase, Great Buddha, Hasedera terrace.
- 15:15 Enoden and Yokosuka Line back, arriving Asakusa about 16:45.
- 17:00 at the shop with an hour to spare.
For Hasedera's June hydrangea queue, Hokoku-ji at leisure, Hakone, or Sankeien, add next-day return (¥1,100) and bring the kimono back before 10:00 the following morning. A chauffeured car from Asakusa to Kamakura and Enoshima, or to Hakone, removes the train changes and is quoted per trip.
See our Kamakura day trip guide and the Kamakura and Enoshima seaside day for food and beaches; for the mountains, the Hakone day loop.
Plan your kimono day
- Book the 09:00 slot and a Komongi (¥5,500, ¥4,950 online) or, for a couple, a matching men's set at ¥5,000.
- Ride to Kamakura Station, walk Dankazura to the shrine first while you are fresh.
- Komachi-dori lunch, shirasu bowls in tatami rooms.
- Enoden to Hase: the little train squeezes between houses and is a photo in itself.
- Great Buddha, then Hasedera terrace for the sea view.
- Back on the 15:15, or stay for sunset at Yuigahama beach with next-day return.
A few local courtesies
Kotoku-in asks that you step into the Buddha's interior only in socks, so slip-on zori are ideal. At Hasedera in June the hydrangea path runs one-way; follow the staff and do not stop for long photos on the narrow sections. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu's central path is for worship on festival days, and the side paths are for strolling. On the Enoden, the doors open on both sides at different stops; hold the strap and keep the hem clear of the step.
FAQ
Can I ride the Enoden in a kimono? Yes. It is a short, slow tram; stand near the door and hold the strap, as it sways.
Are the 61 steps at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu walkable in zori? Yes. They are broad and even, with a rail; take them slowly on the way down.
Is Hasedera's hydrangea path suitable in kimono? It is narrow stone steps and slow in June. Fine in zori with small steps, but allow an extra 45 minutes for the queue.
Does OlaChill have a shop in Kamakura or Hakone? No. Dressing and return are at Tokyo Asakusa and Kyoto Kiyomizu only; Kamakura works as a day trip, Hakone needs next-day return.
Can I get the Hakone lake torii photo in kimono? Yes, with next-day return and a night in Hakone. The jetty queue moves slowly; go before 09:00.
Tokyo's old capital, back before closing
Kamakura is the classic Kanagawa kimono day and it fits between our 09:00 opening and 18:00 close. Reserve at OlaChill Kimono Rental, add next-day return for Hakone, and book online for 10% off.
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