Kamakura Self-guided Walking Tour, Kamakura, Japan

Located a stone’s throw from central Tokyo (about 45 minutes on the train), the coastal town of Kamakura served for a period in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries as the de facto capital of Japan. This was the centre of power of the Kamakura Shogunate, established in 1192 when the military warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo seized control of the nation and was recognised by the Emperor as Seii Taishōgun – the ‘barbarian conquering general’; Minamoto and his descendants then governed the country from this base on the east coast, far from the Emperor’s centre of influence in Kyoto. Like Kyoto, Kamakura developed as a hotbed of culture, with artisans, scholars, palaces and dozens upon dozens of shrines being established in the area. This period saw the introduction and promotion of new forms of Buddhism and belief systems which consolidated the shogun’s rule and led to the rise of the warrior class known as the samurai. Today, the plethora of shrines and religious buildings are more or less all that remains of the days when power was concentrated in this small coastal town. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).