Other Activities

Public Bath

There is a very nice public bath in Totsuka. It is called Gukurakuyu (I think it means hot relaxing water or similar). Entry is 1000 Yen per person, and they have multiple baths, indoor and outdoor and various relaxation options, as well as a nice restaurant. You can easily spend 4-5 hours there.

Japanese public baths are separated to men and women sections. The bathing is done naked, and you walk around with a small towel (size of a hand towel). The towel should casually hide your private parts (however you feel needed) when you walk between the baths. When you are in the bath, you can use it on your head, on the side or wherever, but it should not go into the water. Long hair should be kept out of the water if possible.

Just like the Ofuro, you clean yourself in the entrance hall, and when you are clean you head for the baths.

It’s about 50 minutes walk from the house. The walk is quite nice (part of it goes through the park). There is also a bus from Higashi Totsuka train station and back, but I didn’t take it. Ask the locals on how to use the bus, and please let me know.

You can see some pictures at the web site (Japanese)

Route	Totsuka House to Gokurakuyu
Start	Totsuka House
End	Gokurakuyu
Distance	3.6 km
Duration	50 minutes
KMZ file	KMZ
GPX file	GPX

Hiking/Site Seeing

Tenen

There is a nice walk from Kita Kamakura to Kamakura that goes through a few shrines, and through the forest. It is called Ten En. Get off the yokosuka line in Kita Kamakura. Don’t cross the tracks, and exit the station. Keep walking along the tracks toward Kamakura. Enter Kencho-Ji temple, and follow the route all the way to Hansobo shrine. From there walk in the woods, until you climb down into Kamakura. Follow the route to the train station, or better, to a class in Hachimangu if you timed it well.

Route	Ten En Hiking Trail
Start	Kita Kamakura
End	Kamakura
Distance	10 km
Duration	4 hours
KMZ file	KMZ
GPX file	GPX

Daibutsu

This is another trail from Kita Kamakura to Kamakura, but it is shorter. It goes on the other side of the tracks, and ends at the Big Buddha (Daibutsu).

This trail was not recorded, but you can use this guide for directions. It takes about an hour and a half, and is quite nice.

It could be a bit slippery, so make sure you have good shoes.

Be sure to study the kanji for “Big Buddha” – 大仏 (Daibutsu). You will come across a few forks with Japanese-only signs. The kanji is pretty simple, so it is not a problem to know where to go.

From the Buddha (be sure to go in and see it), there is a small train that will take you back to Kamakura station, or you can walk.

Ōfuna Kannon

The Ōfuna kannon temple has a huge statue of the Kannon. It can be seen from the train to the west when coming into the station from Totsuka.

It’s a short walk from the station. It is marked in the Ofuna Map.

Shopping

There are many shopping opportunities, although none will be cheap. Ask the locals if you are after something specific. See Groceries for more info.

Ōfuna

There is a fun market in Ofuna just outside the station. Exit the station to the west (do not cross the tracks if coming from Totsuka), and walk around the streets. There are snacks, vegetables, shoes, souvenirs, clothes, and a lot of other stuff I can’t remember. Check it out.

100 yen stores

100 yen stores (Hyaku-en) are nothing like the dollar stores in North America. They have a huge variety, and you can find almost anything there in any quality.

There are lots of those all over the place – in Totsuka train station, in Higashi Totsuka train station, and probably any other train station and in between. Be sure to check these out.