Only about an hour from Tokyo by train, Kamakura is a beautiful seaside city that once prospered as Japan’s political center for over 150 years (1185 – 1333). This time period is appropriately named the Kamakura Period, which shows just how important this region was and will always be in Japanese history.
As you wander the city, you will definitely see remnants of Kamakura’s past as the country’s capital. For example, when you look over the area from the top after walking up the stone steps of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (considered the soul of the city), you may notice that the main street runs straight from the shrine’s base all the way to the sea. The other roads all run either parallel or adjacent to the main street–never slanted or curved. Hundreds of years later today, you are witnessing Kamakura’s geomancy–the old way of structuring cities, which meticulously and intentionally considers the layout of roads and arrangements of buildings. Nara–Japan’s first capital and the seat to the Emperor from 710 to 784–also follows geomancy.
Kamakura: https://www.city.kamakura.kanagawa.jp/visitkamakura/en/
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ngi7baF1mjJ6kN4f8