Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and the Samurai Capital

Best Time to Visit

Early morning on a weekday, ideally in the cooler months or in early April when the Dankazura cherries bloom. The avenue and shrine are quietest soon after sunrise, before day-trippers arrive from Tokyo, and the low light suits the long climb from the sea. Avoid midday on spring and autumn weekends, when the approach and steps grow crowded.

Pro Tips

• •Start at the beach end and walk inland so you climb the avenue the way it was designed to be read, from the sea up to the shrine.
• •The main sites on this walk, the avenue, the Dankazura, the shrine grounds, the dance stage, the ginkgo, and Yoritomo's grave, are all free to enter.
• •A separate peony and flower garden inside the shrine, near the Genpei ponds, charges a small fee, so budget for it only if you want the gardens.
• •Wear comfortable shoes: the shrine has a staircase of sixty-one steps, and the grave sits up its own flight of stone steps into the woods.
• •Carry water, especially in summer, since the open avenue offers little shade on the climb from the beach.
• •Give yourself extra time at the quieter grave at the end, since most visitors stop at the shrine and the founder's tomb is often peaceful.