Hello Everyone! In our 2023(I hope) trip when we are in Tokyo we are planning a daytrip to Kamakura. I saw in the map that Yokosuka are nearby too. In Yokosuka we want to see the Mikasa Warship.
I wonder Kamakura(and maybe Ensohima) is need a whole day or we can look around in Yokosuka too?
Our plan to at morning going to Yokosuka first, see the warship (and maybe 1-2 more thing in the area) then travel to Kamakura.
What do you think?
12 comments
It’s doable, but requires some careful planning and pathing (based on closing times of temples).
I would say that April to September, it would be much easier to spend first half of the day and Kamakura and then move on to Yokosuka just because most temples open earlier than the memorial.
The biggest issue I ran into were the hours of things. I actually didn’t get to see the daibutsu because I got distracted by things on my way in from the station. The statue area closes at 5pm. The Mikasa ship memorial website indicates similar hours.
If you only wanted to see the ship and the daibutsu, and you were on the train by 7:30am, I think that’d be totally doable. The train ride from Tokyo seemed long, given the distance. Just did a Google eta, and it’s about 1.5 hours to get to either place from Tokyo, and about a half hour to transit between Yokosuka and Kamakura.
I was slowed significantly because Kamakura was one of the only day trips I took, and since it was my first and until-that-point only time out of Tokyo, I explored it more thoroughly than I would have if I’d already been to several other smaller towns.
Edit: Just checked opening hours for both, daibutsu’s temple is 8am, Mikasa is 9am.
You can easily spend the full day in Kamakura. Yes, a lot of people do Kamakura-Enoshima in a single day, but I am sure you can spend 2-3 days there without much problem.
At the end it probably depend on what you want to see. Just keep in mind that things are a bit spread in the city. Hase-dera and the daibustu are close to each other, but Tsurugaoka hachiman-gu is about 3km away and Hokoku-ji is 1.5 km away from there, so it will take time to move between the different attractions. So it might take more time that you are expecting to see everything you want in Kamakura.
I tried to do this during my last trip to Japan and it was a failure as I left Yokosuka a little too late and missed the opening hours to the Daibutsu and also a visit to Enoshima.
I would recommend doing it on separate days. You can do Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Daibutsu, Enoshima. Then Yokosuka for the Mikasa Warship and some other things like the Perry Memorial etc.
If you have to do it on the same day you need to do some very careful planning and start early.
BTW, when in Yokosuka remember to try the burgers at [Tsunami](https://www.navyburger.com/)
Yeah, much like the other mentioned, it’s possible but tricky. If you decide you don’t have to see everything in Kamakura- go for it! But if you really want to dig into Kamakura AND check out Enoshima AND see Mikasa- two days is a good idea. And honestly, all of that stuff is pretty awesome. I love Enoshima, it is a ton of fun. The Mikasa is super cool and unique, which was right up this navel nerds alley. And of course, Kamakura itself is excellent. There is a lot in this area that is worth the visit, which is a nice problem to have!
If you are happy just seeing 1 or 2 things in Kamakura then its fine to do both. I do think Kamakura is worth a full day though.
I honestly would recommend Enoshima massively over yokosuka if it is a debate between the two. The Mikasa is cool, and it is a nice park, but there is much more to see in Enoshima. As for if it is doable, it is, but might not be worth it if you only have the one day. Also, try Ichikanjin Ramen in Kamakura. Fairly unique and really good.
I live in Yokosuka and have been to the ship. Unless you’re a big naval history fan I’d focus on Kamakura. Save you about an hour and a half or two of travel time. If you do come to Yokosuka however there is a curry udon place near the train station that is amazing
I have done exactly this on a day trip from Tokyo. The Mikasa is a great exhibit and you can spend a lot of time on it if you are really into history. If you want to visit Mikasa and Kamakura, you will need to plan a very tight schedule but it is doable.
Another good option would be the Mikasa plus a boat ride to Monkey Island (the ferry is just adjacent to the Mikasa). That would be a nice full day and a bit more relaxed.
Skip yokosuka. Spend more time in kamakura.
Thank you for the answers! Well it seems it’s better if we make two daytrips instead of one.
One for Kamakura-Enoshima and one for Yokosuka (and Yokohama)
Yokosuka’s cool, there’s tons of (naval) history there if that’s something you’re into. Check before you go to make sure the Mikasa is open if that’s something you’re interested in checking out. I was working at the US Naval Hospital this past summer and one of my friends came in from out of town to hang out and explore the area, but the park was closed for some reason. If you can get into the Naval Station, there’s tons of historical buildings which pre-date the war along the main road, and the first drydock there was built in the 1870s and is still in use.