Great Buddha of Kamakura: Kotokuin Temple Tickets, Hours & Visiting Tips (2026)

The Great Buddha of Kamakura — known in Japanese as the Kamakura Daibutsu — has been sitting in a quiet courtyard at Kotokuin Temple in open air since 1495, when a tsunami destroyed the wooden hall around it. The 13.35-metre, 121-ton bronze statue dates to 1252 and is older than the Notre-Dame de Paris in its current form. Today it is one of the two most-photographed Buddhist statues in Japan (the other is the Great Buddha of Nara), a designated National Treasure, and the single sight on every first-time Kamakura itinerary. Yet most travellers spend less than 30 minutes at the temple, miss the chance to step inside the hollow statue for an extra 50 yen, and underestimate how much the early morning vs late afternoon visit changes the experience.

This Great Buddha of Kamakura guide is built for the first-time visitor who wants to do it right. You will learn the exact 2026 tickets, the official opening hours, the easiest way to get from Tokyo or Kamakura Station to Kotokuin Temple, how much extra it costs to walk inside the Buddha, what time of day delivers the best photos, the etiquette rules that catch visitors out, and how to pair the visit with the adjacent Hase-dera Temple just seven minutes downhill. By the end you should be able to plan a 90-minute visit that captures the icon without the queue.

🎬 Watch Before You Go

What is the Great Buddha of Kamakura

Background: A 1252 Bronze Buddha That Survived a Tsunami

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a seated bronze statue of Amida Buddha, the principal image of Kotokuin Temple, which belongs to the Jodo (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism. Construction began in 1252 under the Kamakura Shogunate, replacing a wooden statue completed in 1243 that had been destroyed by a storm. The bronze figure measures 13.35 metres tall (11.31 metres without the pedestal), weighs roughly 121 tons, and was cast in approximately 30 separate sections that were joined on site — the casting seams are still visible if you look closely. The Buddha originally stood inside a great wooden hall, but the building was destroyed by typhoons in 1334 and 1369 and finally washed away by the Meio tsunami of 1495. The statue has been weather-exposed ever since, which is why the surface has a soft greenish patina rather than the bright bronze finish of newer statues.

The Great Buddha was designated a National Treasure of Japan in 1958 and is one of the two largest bronze Buddha statues in Japan, alongside the larger but indoor-housed Nara Daibutsu at Todai-ji. If you are interested in comparing the two, our Todaiji Temple guide covers the Nara version in detail. For the wider Kamakura context, the Kamakura travel guide for first-time visitors explains how the temple fits into a full day in the city.

Why the Statue Is Different from Other Big Buddhas

Three things set the Kamakura Daibutsu apart from every other large Buddha in Japan. First, it is the only major Buddhist statue you can step inside — visitors can enter the hollow chamber of the statue for a 50 yen surcharge to see the cast-iron support brackets and the casting joints, which are normally invisible from outside. Second, the open-air setting (since 1495) means the Buddha has been photographed against every weather condition from heavy snow to spring cherry blossoms to summer storm clouds — there is no roof or ceiling to limit the view. Third, the Buddha’s mudra (hand position) is the dhyani mudra of meditation, with the hands resting in the lap and the thumbs touching, rather than the more common abhaya (fear-not) gesture you see at Todai-ji and other temples. The result is a noticeably calmer, more contemplative figure than its peers.

For deeper exposure to Japanese Buddhism, our Japan temple tour guide covers the country’s most important sacred sites and the practical etiquette every visitor should know.

Top Recommendations

1. Step Inside the Statue for 50 Yen

The interior chamber is open daily from 8:00 to 16:30 (entry stops at 16:20) and costs 50 yen extra on top of the 300 yen general admission. You enter through a small wooden door at the back of the pedestal, climb a short flight of steps, and stand inside the hollow body for about 45 seconds before the next group moves through. There is little to see — bare bronze interior, cast-iron support beams added in the 1960 earthquake retrofit — but the novelty of standing inside an 800-year-old National Treasure is hard to match elsewhere in Japan. The line for the interior is typically five to ten minutes during midweek and up to 30 minutes on weekends. Tripods and selfie sticks are not permitted inside.

2. Photograph the Buddha from the Three Best Angles

The classic head-on shot from the entry pathway captures the full silhouette but suffers from the wooden offering boxes in the foreground. For a cleaner photo, walk 20 metres clockwise around the statue to the small platform on the right side, where you get a three-quarter view with no boxes and the Buddha’s right ear and shoulder catch the morning light. The third angle is from the back left, near the entry to the interior chamber, which gives a rare view of the curved bronze plates of the back. Early morning (8:00 to 9:30) and late afternoon (15:30 to 17:00) give the warmest light; midday on a clear day produces hard shadows and is the worst window for photography.

3. See the Two Giant Straw Sandals

To the right of the statue, hung against a wooden frame, are a pair of straw sandals (waraji) measuring 1.8 metres long and weighing about 45 kilograms each. They are donated and replaced every three years by the Kashou-kai Association, a group from a village in Hitachiota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, that has been crafting them for the Buddha since 1956. The sandals symbolise the wish that the Buddha will walk across Japan spreading compassion. Look for the small explanation board in English at the base of the display.

4. Walk the Adjacent Gardens

The grounds of Kotokuin extend beyond the Buddha into a small garden with a stone-lined path, a moss-covered well, and seasonal planting that peaks with cherry blossoms in early April and Japanese maples in late November. The garden adds 10 to 15 minutes to a visit and is included in the 300 yen general admission. There is also a small souvenir shop near the exit selling Kamakura Daibutsu charm bracelets (500 yen), miniature Buddha replicas (1,200 yen), and the temple’s stamped goshuin (book stamp, 500 yen).

5. Pair with Hase-dera Temple Seven Minutes Away

The single best pairing for the Great Buddha is Hase-dera Temple, a seven-minute walk downhill toward Yuigahama Beach. Hase-dera’s 9.18-metre wooden Eleven-Headed Kannon, hydrangea Prospect Road and panoramic Sagami Bay terrace make it the natural second stop after Kotokuin. Combined entrance for both temples totals 700 yen (300 + 400) and you can comfortably do both in 90 minutes to two hours. Our Hase-dera Temple Kamakura guide covers the second stop in detail.

How to Book / Where to Experience

Tickets and Reservations

No advance booking is required for individual visits to the Great Buddha. Tickets are sold at the gate for 300 yen (adult) and 150 yen (child aged 6 to 11). The 50 yen interior chamber surcharge is paid separately at the entrance to the chamber, not at the main gate. Cash is preferred; some travel credit cards work but ATM access is limited and the temple itself does not process refunds for unused tickets. Audio guides in English, Chinese, Korean and Spanish are available for rent at the office near the exit for 200 yen — useful for the historical detail that the on-site signage skips.

If you prefer a guided experience, several operators run small-group walking tours of the west-side Kamakura sights (Great Buddha, Hase-dera, Yuigahama Beach) for 6,000 to 9,000 yen per person lasting three to four hours, and private rickshaw tours of the Hase neighbourhood for 4,000 yen per person per 30 minutes. Browse Great Buddha and Kamakura tours on Klook →. Day-tour formats that bundle Kamakura with Enoshima or Mt Fuji are also available; compare Kamakura guided tours on Klook →.

Hotels and Where to Stay

To get the Great Buddha at its quietest, you have to be at the gate when it opens at 8:00 — which usually means an overnight in Kamakura rather than the typical morning train from Tokyo. The two best bases are around Hase Station (a seven-minute walk from Kotokuin and a two-minute walk from Yuigahama Beach) and around Kamakura Station (closer to Komachi-dori and the JR Yokosuka Line for an easy return to Tokyo). Mid-range hotels at Hase run 12,000 to 22,000 yen for a double in 2026; sea-view ryokan with two meals included can reach 35,000 to 60,000 yen. Find Hase and Kamakura hotels on Booking.com →. If you prefer a Tokyo base and want to commute, you can browse hotels near Tokyo Station on Booking.com → for the easiest 56-minute direct connection.

Tips & What to Expect

Best Time to Visit Kotokuin

The Buddha is open year-round, 8:00 to 17:30 from April to September and 8:00 to 17:00 from October to March (interior chamber closes at 16:30). For photography and crowd avoidance, the best window is the first 90 minutes after opening (8:00 to 9:30), when the tour buses have not yet arrived and the morning light hits the Buddha’s right side warmly. The worst window is between 11:00 and 14:00 on weekends and holidays, when school groups and Tokyo day-trippers converge. Seasonally, the early April cherry blossoms and late November Japanese maples in the surrounding garden are the two photographic peaks. New Year’s hatsumode (1 to 3 January) and Golden Week (29 April to 5 May) are the year’s busiest dates and best avoided. The temple is open in rain, and a wet bronze surface arguably photographs better than a dry one.

What to Bring and Wear

The Buddha is in an open courtyard with no shelter, so check the weather and pack accordingly. Comfortable walking shoes are essential — the path from Hase Station climbs roughly 30 metres over seven minutes and the steps inside the temple grounds are uneven stone. Bring at least 1,500 yen in cash for the entrance fee, the interior chamber surcharge, the audio guide rental and a goshuin stamp. A small umbrella is useful from late May through early July (rainy season) and in afternoon thunderstorms in August. Modest clothing (covered shoulders) is appreciated but not required. Bring a wide lens (24 mm equivalent or wider) if you want the full Buddha-in-courtyard composition from the entrance pathway.

Getting There and Logistics

From Tokyo Station, take the JR Yokosuka Line direct to Kamakura Station (56 minutes, 940 yen, departures every 10 to 15 minutes), then transfer to the Enoden Line bound for Fujisawa and get off at Hase Station (four minutes, 200 yen). From Hase Station, the Great Buddha is a flat seven-minute walk north along a clearly signposted street lined with souvenir shops. Total door-to-door time from Tokyo Station to the Kotokuin gate is about 75 minutes. From Shinjuku, the cheapest option is the Odakyu Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass (1,640 yen) which covers a round trip from Shinjuku to Fujisawa plus unlimited Enoden rides. Both routes are fully covered by the JR Pass and the JR Tokyo Wide Pass. If you are already at Kotokuin and heading to Hase-dera next, the temple is a seven-minute downhill walk straight south.

FAQ: Great Buddha of Kamakura

How much does it cost to see the Great Buddha?

General admission to Kotokuin Temple is 300 yen for adults and 150 yen for children aged 6 to 11. Entering the hollow chamber inside the statue costs an additional 50 yen. Audio guides in five languages are 200 yen extra. Total for a complete visit is roughly 550 yen.

What time should I arrive at the Great Buddha?

Arrive at 8:00 when the temple opens to beat the tour buses, which generally start arriving around 9:30. The interior chamber line is usually under five minutes in the first 90 minutes and grows to 20 to 30 minutes by midday on weekends.

Can you go inside the Great Buddha of Kamakura?

Yes — the hollow bronze chamber is open to the public daily from 8:00 to 16:30 for an additional 50 yen on top of the temple admission. You enter through a small wooden door at the back of the pedestal, climb a short flight of stairs, and stand inside for about 45 seconds. Tripods, selfie sticks and drones are not permitted.

How tall is the Great Buddha of Kamakura?

The statue measures 13.35 metres tall (11.31 metres without the pedestal) and weighs approximately 121 tons. It is the second-largest bronze Buddha in Japan after Todai-ji in Nara, but the largest open-air bronze Buddha in the country.

What is the difference between the Kamakura Buddha and the Nara Buddha?

The Nara Buddha at Todai-ji is taller (14.98 metres) and indoors inside the world’s largest wooden building. The Kamakura Buddha is shorter but sits outdoors and has been weather-exposed since 1495. The Nara Buddha is in the abhaya (fear-not) hand mudra; the Kamakura Buddha is in the dhyani (meditation) mudra with hands in the lap. Both are National Treasures.

How long does it take to visit the Great Buddha?

A typical first-time visit takes 30 to 45 minutes including the interior chamber, photography, and a walk around the garden. Pair it with Hase-dera Temple seven minutes downhill and you can do both in a comfortable 90 minutes to two hours.

Is the Great Buddha worth visiting?

For first-time visitors to Japan, yes — it is one of the country’s most recognisable Buddhist images and a designated National Treasure, and the proximity to Hase-dera, Komachi-dori and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu makes the trip easy to bundle. For repeat visitors who have already seen the Nara Daibutsu, the Kamakura Buddha is more about the open-air setting than the statue itself.

Related Articles

You might also like:

→ Kamakura Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors

→ Best Things to Do in Kamakura: Top 12 Sights

→ Hase-dera Temple Kamakura: Hydrangea Garden Guide

→ Enoshima Day Trip from Kamakura

→ Todaiji Temple Nara: Comparing Japan’s Other Great Buddha

Conclusion

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a tightly contained, deeply photogenic visit that anchors any first-time Kamakura day. The 800-year-old bronze, the 50 yen interior peek, the surrounding cherry-blossom and maple-tree garden, and the seven-minute downhill walk to Hase-dera make a 90-minute pairing that is hard to beat for the price. The single most important decision is timing: arrive between 8:00 and 9:30 to enjoy the courtyard with a few dozen pilgrims rather than a few hundred tour-bus visitors.

Three key takeaways: arrive at 8:00 for the cleanest photos and shortest interior chamber line; pay the extra 50 yen to step inside the hollow Buddha because no other major statue in Japan offers it; and budget time to walk seven minutes downhill to Hase-dera afterwards because the two temples together are the perfect introduction to Kamakura’s west side. Book a Great Buddha guided tour on Klook → if you want history context from a licensed guide, or find a Hase or Kamakura hotel on Booking.com → to extend the trip into an overnight. For the full city day plan, head back to our Kamakura travel guide for first-time visitors.