Best Hikes in Japan: The Daibutsu Trail (大仏 ハイキングコース)

BASIC INFORMATION

• Name: Daibutsu Trail (大仏 ハイキングコース)
• Location: Kamakura, Japan
• Distance: 6.2 miles (10 km)
• Max Elevation: 334 feet (102 m)
• Elevation Gain: 1,022 feet (311 m)
• Time: 3-4 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate
• More Information: 30 Day Hikes Near Tokyo

Google Earth Map of the Trail

Directions

Kamakura has rail access from Tokyo, but the station is not located near the trailhead.  Getting to the trailhead will require either a taxi or a bus from Kamakura Station.  Many buses run to the Great Buddha of Kamakura statue called Daibutsu (大仏) in Japanese.  From the entrance of Daibutsu just follow the sidewalk uphill towards the tunnel.  Adjacent to the tunnel is a stairway that leads to the trail.

Parking

There are many small lots near Daibutsu for people that drive to Kamakura to park at.  I chose the lot nearest to the trailhead for the Daibutsu Trail which only had five parking spots.  I arrived at about 7:00 AM and easily found a spot.

The parking in Kamakura is extremely expensive, especially near Daibutsu.  On a weekend it costs 400 yen for every 30 minutes which is about $4.  Since I hiked for about 3 hours it cost me about $24 for parking.

Narrative

Kamakura (鎌倉) is one of the most historic cities in Japan due to it once being the capitol of the country during its early feudal samurai era from 1185 to 1333.  During this time Kamakura was the most populous city in Japan which is surprising considering how hilly and forested the area is.  The most popular site in Kamakura is the Great Buddha statue called Daibutsu (大仏) in Japanese. Near the temple is the very popular Daibutsu Trail that connects the statue to a number of temples in the area.  I arrived early in the morning before Daibutsu opened in order to hike the trail before returning to check out the statue.  From the parking lot I walked up the sidewalk to the tunnel.  The trail began by walking up a staircase adjacent to the tunnel:

About halfway up the staircase I saw this map that outlined the trail ahead of me:

About halfway up the staircase I came to a trail intersection.  I followed the sign pointing towards Genjiyama Park to stay on the Daibutsu Trail:

As I headed up the trail I had another staircase to ascend:

As I got closer to the ridgeline the staircase was actually carved into the rock itself:

Once I reached the ridgeline the hiking became very easy:

Eventually the trail became a road through a small neighborhood on top of the ridge:

I followed the narrow road through the nice neighborhood:

This road is where I had my first views from the hike overlooking Kamakura and its adjacent ocean:

The road eventually came to a signboard that pointed out the direction to Genjiyama Park and other sights that can be seen from the trail:

I decided to descend down a staircase towards the Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine:

To reach the shrine I had to pass through a narrow tunnel that had a tori gate across its entrance.  This shrine is reported to have been built in 1185:

The tori gate had lanterns with the symbol for the feudal Hojo clan that once ruled this area in ancient Japan.  Gamers my recognize this symbol as the inspiration for the Triforce in the Legend of Zelda games:

I am pretty tall, but the tunnel was fortunately high enough for me to pass through without crouching.  Despite the extremely old age of the shrine, this tunnel only dates back to 1958.  Prior to that worshippers would have to hike over the mountain to the shrine:

On the other side of the tunnel I then had to pass through multiple tori gates.  These ones were all made of wood:

The shrine complex was located in this scenic valley surrounded by steep hills.  It was really quite a beautiful location.  There was also a cave where a large number of people were going into to pray.  I did not not want to bother them while they worshipped so I did not go into the cave.  Instead I just walked around the temple grounds and took a few pictures:

There is a spring at the shrine that it is believed that if money is washed in it, then it will lead to your money being doubled.  Despite such a legend I did not see anyone washing their money in the spring:

After finishing my exploration of Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine, I then walked back up the staircase to the Daibutsu Trail.  As I continued along the trail I had some nice views of the surrounding hills and small neighborhoods tucked into various valleys:

As I walked along the trail I stopped to see the grave of Hino Toshimoto.  He was a close aide to the former Japanese Emperor Go-Daigo.  In 1324 Toshimoto decided to assist the emperor with overthrowing the Kamakura Shogunate that was ruling large portion of the country at the time.  The plot failed, but Toshimoto escaped capture.  In 1331 he tried to lead another plot to overthrow the shogunate, but this time was captured and executed:

Just passed Toshimoto’s grave is the Kuzuharaoka Jinja Shrine:

This shrine is where Toshimoto was executed.  Today the shrine is known as being a place for lovers to tie red strings that costs five yen on a pair of matchmaking rocks.  The red strings are supposed to give the lovers luck in marriage:

The Kuzuharaoka Jinja Shrine also has a few small alters that can be visited as well:

One of the shrines has a few statues of the Japanese fox called a Kitsune (キツネ).  In Japanese folklore Kitsune can shapeshift into human form and are often thought of as messengers from the Gods:

At the shrine there is another nice map depicting the Daibutsu Trail:

From Kuzuharaoka Jinja Shrine, I followed the Daibutsu Trail to its final stop at Jochiji Temple:

From the shrine I had to ascend a steep bamboo staircase:

I then came to a trail sign that showed that the temple was only 550 meters ahead:

As I walked down the trail I happened to pass this random pagoda.  There was no sign stating how old it was, but considering that just about everything in Kamakura is old, this pagoda is likely hundreds of years old as well:

Soon after passing the pagoda the trail then made a steep descent down a staircase:

At the end of the staircase I entered into a small bamboo forest:

I then entered into a neighborhood of historic homes.  Some of them were turned into businesses such as for traditional tea ceremonies:

I soon came to Jochiji Temple at the end of the trail.  Jochiji is one of the five great Zen temples located in Kamakura.  The temple was believed to have been built in 1281 and until the 16th century hundreds of monks use to live here.  To enter Jochiji I had to pay a small entrance fee.  Near the entrance is a small pagoda that housed the temple bell on the second floor:

I next walked to the main temple hall:

Inside the main hall of Jochiji Temple was three Buddhist statues that symbolize the past, present, and future:

From the main temple hall I walked around the temple’s grounds and checked out its many historic buildings:

Here is a panorama view of some of the buildings in Jochiji Temple:

Something else I saw as I walked around the temple was a few statues of the Japanese raccoon called a tanuki (たぬき).  Just like the kitsune, the tanuki in Japanese folklore are also known as being shapeshifters who are pranksters and very jolly:

As I walked adjacent to the walls of the valley, I could see small enclosures carved out of the rock that were used as small shrines:

Other enclosures carved in the rock is where deceased monks were laid to rest:

I then came to a small tunnel that I walked through that led to a large cemetery:

This cemetery was a mixture of modern graves towards the front and the ancient graves in the rock behind it:

Near the cemetery there is another small enclosure that houses what is known as the God of Hotei.  It is believed to be one of Kamakura’s 7 Gods of Fortune.  If you rub the belly of the Hotei you will be given energy and good luck:

As I walked back towards the entrance to Jochiji Temple I spotted a building setup for a ritual tea ceremony:

The aesthetics of the architecture I found to be quite beautiful:

After finishing my walk around Jochiji Temple I then retraced my steps back up the Daibutsu Trail.  By this time it was later in the morning and thus a lot more people were on the trail.  As I neared Genjiyama Park I decided to make a pitstop and checkout the statue in honor of Minamoto no Yoritomo.  He was the first ruler of the Kamakura shogunate and was in power from 1192-1199:

After checking out the statue I then returned to the Daibutsu Trail and followed it back to the trailhead near the Great Daibutsu Statue.  By the time I got back the Kotoku-in Temple that houses the statue was now open for visitors:

As I walked inside I was immediately impressed by the size of the statue, it is quite large:

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its age and cultural importance in Japan.  The bronze statue was built in 1252 and is 13.35 meters tall and weighs 103 tons:

The statue is not made of solid bronze and is instead hollow which can be seen by the air vents on the back of the Buddha:

The Buddha was at one time surrounded by a building, but various storms and earthquakes over the centuries destroyed the building.  Since 1498 the statue has sat open to the elements which caused its bronze to corrode to its iconic green color seen today:

Despite all the natural disasters that have befallen Kotoku-in Temple over the centuries, The Great Buddha of Kamakura endures:

Conclusion

The Daibutsu Trail from the Kotoku-in Temple to Jochiji Temple and back is a great 10 kilometer hike with the potential for multiple pitstops to historic sites along the way.  The hike is a family friendly trail with really no difficult spots and just over a 1,000 feet in elevation gain.  Because of its views of the surrounding hills and ocean plus its multiple historic sites, the Daibutsu Trail is one of my favorite hikes in the Tokyo region that I recommend visitors to experience for themselves.