Trip Planner: Asia / Japan / Kanto / Kanagawa Prefecture / Kamakura / Sightseeing / Kōtoku-in

Kōtoku-in, Kamakura

4.1

#1 of 322 in Historic Sites in Kanagawa Prefecture

Monument Religious Site

Admire the monumental statue of Kōtoku-in, one of the largest Buddha figures in Japan. The towering bronze statue dates back to the 13th century and sits outside a Buddhist temple in the small town of Kamakura. Enjoy the view of the 13.3 m (43.8 ft) tall Amitabha Buddha, an imposing sight dominating peaceful temple grounds. For a small fee, you can venture inside the hollow statue to see the elaborate structural work that makes up this gargantuan monument. Add Kōtoku-in to your Kamakura travel itinerary, and discover new vacation ideas by using our Kamakura vacation trip planner.

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Where to stay in Kamakura

Given the easy access from Tokyo via a number of public transport options, the vast majority of visitors to Kamakura choose to stay in the capital and head here for a day trip. If you feel there's too much to see in one day, then you'll be pleased to find a decent selection of accommodations in Kamakura itself. Down by the sea sit perhaps the most luxurious of the crop, with sea views high on the list of desires for those who stay here. Follow the river as it snakes inland past the train station, and you'll see a good number of more standard hotels, as well as particularly budget-friendly guesthouses.

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2,019 reviews

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3.9

Nihar Ranjan D

I could feel the sacredness and a strong presence of divinity in the shrine of the Great Buddha. Worth visiting. more »
jloug

He really is giant! We paid the 20 yen (no typo - that's the right #) to walk up into his belly. Not much to see, but simply a cool thing to do. Be sure to walk into the small gardens. Very peaceful. more »
Boschagirl

It took around 1 hour from Tokyo to this area. You just walked from station to the temple, about 10-15 minutes. You can see the inside of the buddha with additional fee only 10 yen. more »

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Laura Zakrzewski

Absolutely incredible to see. One of my favorite travel memories. Great photos of this amazing statue, clean and safe area. I hope I get to visit here again.

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Jessica Turney

Fun day trip with much to do! Big Buddha is great to go see. I wouldn't go inside the buddha unless you are super interested in the way it was built, but strolling around it and hanging out in the area is nice. Outside the big buddha temple, there is a map with all the other temples and cool areas to check out. I would highly recommend temple hopping. There are some with great views of the beach and shore! The beach nearby is a great place to view the sunset. The food in the area is great too.

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Gary Chan

Great place to visit. I was told that the statue is there since the original temple was destroyed by flood. There is also a small garden behind the statue.

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Alfaima Solano

A very relaxing and inspiring place, you can go inside the Buddha for a very cheap price, and the stores have very interesting items, even some sculptures of a great size of the Buddha itself.

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Ian Gazny Yaacob

The Great Buddha here, while smaller than the one in Nara, is in my opinion, more impressive than its bigger cousin because it is out in the open and feels more intimate.

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