Whispers of Zen: Kamakura’s Gardens and Sacred Paths – KANAGAWA

Tour summary

Nestled between forested mountains and the sea, Kamakura is a city where nature and history harmonize throughout the changing seasons. Join a guided tour led by a professional garden designer who studied horticulture in England, and discover the hidden beauty of Kamakura’s renowned temple gardens and mountain trails.

As you explore this city steeped in Zen tradition, you’ll learn about garden design, seasonal plants, and the cultural significance behind each landscape. Wander off the beaten path to secret spots known only to locals—places that only a Kamakura-based guide can reveal.

This experience is fully customizable to match your interests and fitness level, offering a truly personal journey through Kamakura’s natural and spiritual heritage.

In detail

This is a private walking tour with a local attendant guide. Kamakura is lined with Zen temples, and while talking about the history of the area, the guide will carefully select places for you to enjoy the beautiful scenery in accordance with the season. You will visit temples with seasonal flowers blooming beautifully in their gardens, like Engaku-ji Temple, Jochiji Temple, and Hasedera Temple, and in the spring you can walk in the mountains to see the mountain cherry blossoms. Our expert garden designer will explain how to best enjoy the flowers and plants we see in the gardens and mountains, as well as other vegetation.

We will also take you to Engaku-ji Temple, one of the representative Zen temples in Kamakura, to experience hand copying of sutras. You will experience the nature of Kamakura by the pond whilst listening to the sounds of birds and frogs, depending on the season.

*Itineraries will be arranged according to season, customer requests, and fitness level.

Here are some sights we might visit

Engaku-ji Temple: One of the representative temples of Kamakura, founded in the Kamakura period on the order of Hojo Tokimune. It is one of the “five temples of Kamakura”, along with Kenchoji Temple, the head temple of the Kenchoji School of the Rinzai sect which is also located in Kita-Kamakura, its garden a designated national scenic beauty.
Jochiji Temple: The fourth temple of the “Kamakura Gozan” (five mountains in Kamakura) was designated by the Kamakura Shogunate in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), and it is designated as a national historic site as the “precincts of Jochi-ji Temple. Behind the shoin (a thatched-roofed building) which was rebuilt in the Taisho era (1912-1926), there is a moss garden with wildflowers, which leads to an atmospheric bamboo grove, creating a very nice garden atmosphere. It is said that the garden was loved by many writers and artists in the Showa period, including the movie director Yasujiro Ozu.
Hasedera Temple: It is one of the most popular temples in Kamakura, located not far from Kotokuin Temple where the “Great Buddha of Kamakura” is located. There are several gardens on the temple grounds: a pond garden centering on Hosei-ike Pond, a karesansui (dry landscape) garden in front of the shoin (drawing room), and a Japanese garden with beautiful mosses on Sei-ike Pond adjacent to the Kyodo Hall. On the hill overlooking Yuigahama Beach and Sagami Bay, there is a hydrangea garden with as many as 2,500 hydrangea plants in full bloom. Visitors can enjoy a variety of flowers from season to season at this temple.

Your Guide

Saori Imoto

A garden designer living in Kamakura, she has won numerous awards in design competitions in the UK.

Based on her experience in both Japan and England, she will guide you through the beautiful natural scenery and gardens of Kamakura, explaining the differences between Japanese and Western garden design, which only a local person can know.

More information

FIT / Group	FIT
Min. and Max. # of Participants	2 min / 6 max
What is Included in the Price	English-speaking Guide, Entrance fee
Duration	3 hours
Start/End Time	10:00 – 13:00 or 13:00 – 16:00 (Negotiable) Not available: Summer time (July & Aug)
Meeting / Departing Point	Meeting Point: JR Kita-Kamakura Station (East Exit) Departing Point: JR Kamakura Station
Notes: dietary restrictions, age limit. etc.	– Please let us know a phone number where we can reach you on the day of the event. – In case of rain, we may change the itinerary. Cancellation might happen due to terrible weather.