A samurai capital of Zen temples and whitebait
Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first samurai government, from the late 12th century, and fishermen still net shirasu, tiny whitebait, off its beach. Have them boiled and piled on rice, then walk to the great shrine and on to the old Zen temples. It is about an hour from Tokyo by JR.
A Japanese restaurant on Komachi-dori that buys its shirasu from a local fishing family and serves it kamaage, freshly boiled, on hot rice.
A restaurant where you can have a bowl of boiled shirasu and a bowl of soba noodles in one meal.
A shopping street from the east exit of Kamakura Station toward Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, lined with shirasu restaurants and snack shops. It gets very crowded, and the city asks visitors not to eat while walking in crowded spots, so eat at the shop.
The shrine at the heart of Kamakura, laid out by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun. A long approach runs up from the sea to a great stone stairway and the main hall.
Founded in 1253 as Japan's first temple devoted to Zen training, and said to be where kenchin-jiru, a hearty vegetable soup, was born. Its gate and halls stand in a straight line, and if you climb to Hansobo at the back, you can see Sagami Bay through the trees.