WHOLESOME AND SPIRITUAL DAY IN KAMAKURA

Kamakura did not disappoint.

I went with no real expectations, just the vague idea of temples, a bit of calm, maybe the sea. What I found was something quieter, deeper, and spiritual.

I even wrote a few haiku along the way:

Kamakura
Walking far too much
Getting lost, then finding self
Full of quiet awe

Chasing the sunset
Right after zazen practice
Did I learn nothing?

Kencho-ji in Kamakura

I didn’t love Kamakura at first. Stepping out of the main station into the famous shopping street felt overwhelming — too many people, too many souvenir shops. But the magic of Kamakura is that you only need to walk 10 minutes away from that chaos to find complete stillness. And once you do, it’s very easy to get lost — in the best way.

One of the first places I went to was the Yofukuji temple site. There is, technically, no temple. Just foundations. And yet, it’s one of the most peaceful spots I found — hidden behind a forest, opening into a beautiful park with a lake. It felt like the anti-Kamakura. Quiet, almost empty, like a secret.

Kencho-ji was a coup de cœur. The scale, the beauty, the way you can walk up and suddenly get a view towards Mount Fuji — everything about it felt grand but still serene.

Sutra transcription at Engoku-ji temple

But the real highlight of the day was Engaku-ji.

I ended up in a small room inside the temple, transcribing sutras. I was completely alone, copying characters I didn’t understand, trying to be precise, slow, present. Then I joined a zazen session — entirely in Japanese. I didn’t understand much, but I learned the posture: legs crossed, hands together, thumbs touching. Bare feet on soft tatami. Stillness.

And then — the unexpected part — getting lightly hit with a wooden stick to correct posture. It sounds harsh, but it’s not. It’s part of the practice. A reset.

The session lasted 1h30. Long enough to lose track of time, and maybe, briefly, find a quieter mind.

(If you’re curious: you can join on Saturdays. Sutra transcription is 1500 yen, zazen is 1000 yen. Details are on the temple website.)

One of Engoku-ji many beautiful wooden temples

In between temples, I wandered a lot. There’s a small street I loved, with places like Saryou Kazahana café — understated, calm, the kind of place you don’t want to leave too quickly.

At some point, I completely went off-map, following trails that don’t even appear on Google Maps, heading toward Genjiyama Park. Along the way: countless small, almost hidden temples, with barely anyone around.

I eventually made it to the Big Buddha — just in time to find it closed.

Matcha break at Saryou Kazahana café

I ended the day by taking the cutest little train to Inamuragasaki. I watched the sunset by the sea, then went to the onsen nearby. (The spa is worth it, the restaurant… less so.)

Somehow, I forgot to eat most of the day. I walked over 25,000 steps without really noticing.

Just moving, exploring, sitting, breathing.

Kamakura didn’t disappoint — it quietly stayed with me.

View on a zen garden from Engoku-ji

At the top of Kencho-ji domain