Kamakura Great Buddha, Hase-dera and the coast

From the late 12th century until 1333, Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first warrior government, and temples still fill its wooded hillsides. The Great Buddha of Kotoku-in is a bronze Amida about 11 metres tall, cast in the mid-1200s; the hall around it was swept away by a tsunami in 1498, and it has sat under open sky ever since. Close by, Hase-dera keeps a carved wooden Kannon over 9 metres high, ranked among Japan's biggest wooden statues.

Groups start from Tokyo Station or Yokohama, and the 4-hour classic route covers the Great Buddha and Hase-dera, a short walk apart. A ride on the Enoden, a small seaside railway that squeezes past front doors, is part of the trip. The 8-hour day from Tokyo carries on along the coast to Enoshima, a hilly island joined to the mainland by a long bridge, with a shrine, lookouts and sea caves on its far side. Expect the guide to shift the order to dodge the busiest hours.

Hase-dera's hillside terrace looks over Yuigahama beach and Sagami Bay, and in June its slopes become one of Kamakura's best-loved hydrangea walks, which also means queues. Rows of small stone Jizo figures, placed by families in remembrance, line the lower garden. From the Enoden windows the sea appears suddenly between houses near Kamakura-Kokomae station. On clear winter days Mount Fuji can rise behind Enoshima, while summer brings heat and beach crowds.