With any trip I take, the urge to do a day trip within the trip is strong.  In many ways, I find it can be an indulgent mini-vacation from my vacation. When I visited Tokyo, planning a day trip also came with the idea of escaping the crowds of the city to seek out a bit of tranquility. In reality, I didn’t ever find Tokyo too crowded or busy, but I did enjoy a slower pace and quieter day when I visited Kamakura.

A little over an hour after leaving Tokyo in the morning aboard a crammed train, I arrived in sunny Kamakura. About a ten minute walk from the train station, I made my way to Tsuruoka Hachimangu, the most important Shinto shrine in the city. With my early start, I beat most of the tourists here.

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