Hittin' up the shrines

This weekend we all went to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine in Kamakura!  I've been shamelessly begging my husband to go for a while, and he reluctantly accepted defeat, so we went! LOL. 

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu dates back to 1063 and was home of the first shogunate of Kamakura.  Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the shogunate and was the very first shogun in Kamakura.  He ruled from 1192-1199.





These are prayers sent by the Japanese



We also got extremely lucky and were able to see two traditional Shinto weddings!











I highly recommend seeing Tsurugaoka Hachimangu if you're in this part of Japan.  From JR Yokosuka station, you'll purchase a ¥210 ticket to Kamakura, it's 4 stops away, about a 20 minute ride.  Stops go as follows: Taura, Higashi-Zushi, Zushi, then Kamakura.  You'll take a left out of the train station and it's about a 10 minute walk.  You will walk through a tiny street with signs above that say "Shopping Town" I believe. You'll come to an intersection, at the intersection you'll take a right and follow that road until you see the Shinto gate, thats the entrance.   The shrine is free for everyone, but there is a museum for a fee of ¥200. 

There are 62 steps leading up to the shrine, so be prepared in case you have little ones in strollers, or a person who would need assistance going to the top!

This is a gorgeous place to visit, we plan on going back when the Sakura are in bloom. I actually plan on going back every season.  Twice a year I believe, they have a festival that includes "Yabusame", which is archery on horseback at the shrine.  I have been told that will be held on Sept 16 this year! That would be something to see without the kids because of the sheer number of spectators!!