Kanagawa Travel Guide
Yokohama · Kamakura · Hakone · Enoshima · Yokosuka
Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, packs an extraordinary variety of experiences into a single day-trip radius: Japan's most cosmopolitan port city (Yokohama), the ancient Zen and samurai capital (Kamakura), the volcanic hot-spring highlands of Hakone with Mt Fuji on the horizon, and the breezy island shrine of Enoshima. This is Japan's second-most densely populated prefecture, yet within its 2,415 square kilometres you can be standing before an 800-year-old Buddha or soaking in an onsen while snow dusts Fuji's flanks — all within 90 minutes of central Tokyo.
Top Attractions in Kanagawa
Yokohama Minato Mirai — Japan's Most Modern Waterfront
Built on reclaimed land where Yokohama's historic shipyards once stood, Minato Mirai 21 ("Future Port 21") is one of Asia's most ambitious urban waterfront developments — a kilometre-wide sweep of towers, gardens, museums, and event spaces centred on the iconic Landmark Tower (296m, Japan's second-tallest). The Sky Garden observation deck on the 69th floor offers a 360-degree panorama taking in Yokohama Harbour, Tokyo's skyline to the north, and on clear days, Mt Fuji to the west. Below, the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse (Akarenga Sōko) — twin 1910 customs buildings converted into boutiques and event space — faces the Osanbashi International Passenger Terminal, one of Japan's most architecturally striking modern structures. The Nippon Maru memorial ship and Yokohama Museum of Art complete a walkable cultural circuit.
Yokohama Chinatown — Japan's Largest Chinese Quarter
Yokohama Chinatown (Chūkagai) is the largest and most historically significant Chinese quarter in Japan, established in 1859 when Yokohama opened as a treaty port. Ten ornate ceremonial gates (pailou) mark the entrances to a dense 0.2 square kilometre of restaurants, dim sum shops, herbal medicine stores, fortune-tellers, and Kanteibyo Temple (a Taoist shrine to Guan Yu, the deity of commerce, glowing with incense smoke). The district's 600-plus restaurants and street-food stalls specialise in Cantonese, Shanghainese, and northern Chinese cuisine — with a distinctive Yokohama localisation that has evolved over 150 years of fusion with Japanese tastes. The Shanghainese soup dumplings (xiaolongbao), clay pot rice, and Yokohama crab dim sum are unlike anything found in mainland Chinese cities.
Kamakura Great Buddha & Zen Temples
The 11.4-metre bronze Kotoku-in Daibutsu (Great Buddha), cast in 1252 and seated in tranquil outdoor meditation since its wooden hall collapsed in the 15th century, is one of Japan's most recognisable and moving images — a figure of absolute stillness that has weathered 800 years of typhoons, earthquakes, and tidal waves without moving from its base. Kamakura was Japan's de facto capital from 1185 to 1333, and the surrounding hills are carpeted with Zen temples: Engakuji (serene cedar groves), Kenchoji (Japan's oldest Zen training monastery), and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (the city's grand Shinto shrine). The bamboo forest and moss garden at Hokokuji Temple are among Japan's most photographed natural settings.
Hakone — Volcanic Scenery and Mt Fuji Views
Though it falls partly within Shizuoka Prefecture, Hakone sits primarily within Kanagawa and is the prefecture's most visited mountain resort. The Hakone Free Pass provides unlimited access to the area's eccentric transport system: a mountain railway that zigzags up volcanic slopes, a cable car over the sulphurous Owakudani volcanic valley (where black eggs boiled in mineral springs are said to add 7 years to your life), and a pleasure boat across Lake Ashi. On clear days (most likely in winter and early spring), Mt Fuji appears in perfect symmetry above the opposite shore — a view reproduced in hundreds of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. The Hakone Open Air Museum (outdoor sculpture park), Pola Museum of Art, and Gora Kogen garden are cultural complements.
Enoshima — Shrine Island and Sea Caves
Connected to the mainland by a 600-metre pedestrian bridge, Enoshima is a small island (circumference 4km) crowned by three Shinto shrines dedicated to Benzaiten (goddess of music, water, and luck), sea caves with natural candles and geological formations, a botanical garden with Mt Fuji views, and Samuel Cocking Garden (built by a Victorian-era British merchant). The island is easily combined with Kamakura (20 min by the Enoden narrow-gauge railway) and makes a pleasant half-day layover. Enoshima is also the traditional starting point for the ancient Kamakura pilgrimage route.
Yokosuka & Mikasa Park — Meiji Naval Heritage
Yokosuka, at the tip of the Miura Peninsula, is where Commodore Perry anchored his Black Ships in 1853 to force Japan's opening to the West — a moment that changed Japanese history irrevocably. Mikasa Park preserves the battleship Mikasa, flagship of Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō's victory at the Battle of Tsushima (1905), as a floating memorial museum. The Yokosuka Naval Base (still an active US and Japanese facility) gives the city a uniquely bicultural character — its curry (yokosuka curry) has become Japan's most beloved military-influenced dish, served in massive portions at restaurants around the base. The Sarushima natural island (short ferry ride) offers swimming and historical fortifications from a century of Japan's naval development.
Tours & Experiences in Kanagawa
Kamakura walking tours, Hakone day trips, Yokohama harbour cruises, and Enoshima shore experiences.
What to Eat in Kanagawa
Yokohama Chashu Ramen (横浜家系ラーメン)
Yokohama's most famous culinary export is Iekei (Family-style) ramen, developed in 1974 by Minoru Yoshimura at Yoshimuraya restaurant in Yokohama. Thick, chewy straight noodles in a rich blend of tonkotsu (pork bone) and soy sauce broth, topped with three thick slices of chashu pork, spinach, and nori seaweed. Diners customise broth richness (koi/futsuu/usui), oil level, and seasoning strength. The Iekei style has spawned hundreds of descendants across Japan but the original Yokohama shops remain definitive.
Where: Yoshimuraya (Nishi-ku, Yokohama, the original), Rokumai (Yokohama Station), Sugita (Isogo)
Enoshima Shirasu Don (しらす丼)
Kanagawa's coastal specialty: a bowl of steaming rice blanketed with freshly boiled whitebait (shirasu) — tiny, translucent anchovies harvested from Sagami Bay. Served raw (nama-shirasu, available spring–autumn) or lightly boiled, the delicate sweetness of fresh shirasu bears no resemblance to the dried variety sold elsewhere. Enoshima's beachfront restaurants and Kamakura's Yuigahama beach strip are the best places to eat this hyper-local dish in season.
Where: Enoshima's Benten-dori restaurant strip, Shirasu restaurants on Kamakura Yuigahama, Fujimi-an (Enoshima)
Yokosuka Navy Curry (海軍カレー)
Dating to the Meiji era when the British Royal Navy's curry was adopted by Japan's nascent Imperial Navy as a nutritious weekly meal, Yokosuka curry has evolved into a rich, European-style curry with chunky vegetables and slow-cooked meat — served in massive portions. The Dobuita Street curry trail and Yokosuka Station shops sell over 40 variations, and the recipe is officially published to anyone who asks.
Where: Yokosuka Station vicinity restaurants, Dobuita Street, Mikasa Park curry cafe
Kamakura Macha Sweets (鎌倉抹茶)
Kamakura's Zen temple connection has made the city one of Japan's most refined destinations for matcha confectionery. Seasonal wagashi (Japanese sweets), matcha soft serve (¥400–¥600), matcha parfaits, and ceremonial tea services in teahouse settings draw visitors specifically for the culinary experience alongside the temples. The Komachi-dori shopping street leading from Kamakura Station is lined with matcha shops.
Where: Kamakura-dono (Komachi-dori), Bergfeld (Kamakura, historic cafe since 1930), Tokiwa Saryo (Engakuji Garden)
Yokohama Chinese Dim Sum (横浜中華街)
Chinatown's 600-plus restaurants have perfected a Yokohama fusion of Cantonese dim sum over 150 years — xiaolongbao, har gow, siu mai, clay pot rice, and abalone dishes with Japanese precision and Yokohama's coastal seafood. Weekend mornings see trolley service; evenings bring Shanghainese multi-course banquets at the larger restaurants.
Where: Manchinrou (Yokohama Chinatown, century-old flagship), Heichinrou, Manchan Restaurant
Where to Stay in Kanagawa
Yokohama city for urban convenience and nightlife, Kamakura for proximity to temples, or Hakone ryokan for a traditional onsen retreat.
Practical Information
- Getting There
- Yokohama is 25 minutes from Tokyo on the Tōkaidō Line or 30 minutes via Minatomirai Line from Shibuya. Kamakura: 1 hour from Tokyo (JR Yokosuka Line). Hakone: 85 minutes from Shinjuku on Odakyu Romancecar. JR Pass covers routes to Yokohama and Kamakura. Haneda Airport is 20 minutes from Yokohama by Keikyu Line.
- Best Time to Visit
- April (cherry blossoms at Kamakura and Yokohama) and November (autumn foliage). Winter (December–February) offers the clearest Mt Fuji views from Hakone. Enoshima swimming season: July–August.
- Getting Around
- JR Yokosuka Line connects Tokyo–Yokohama–Kamakura. Enoden narrow-gauge railway links Kamakura to Enoshima. Odakyu Enoshima Line serves Enoshima from Shinjuku. Hakone Free Pass covers all Hakone area transport. Keikyu Line connects Yokosuka and Yokohama.
- Daily Budget
- Kamakura temples ¥200–¥500 each, Great Buddha ¥300, Hakone Free Pass ¥6,100, Landmark Tower ¥1,000, Chinatown meal ¥1,500–¥3,500. Budget ¥7,000–¥12,000/day.