I usually advise everyone to avoid the summer months like the plague and instead recommend coming towards the end of March. This is partly because the sakura bloom around then, but also because April brings flowers everywhere.

Kamakura is typically given no more than an afternoon, but this is a mistake bordering on sacrilege. Kamakura deserves a week. Still not convinced?

Just consider that this is where Zen Buddhism truly took root, with the Kamakura Gozan.

This is the birthplace of the Nichiren and Jōdo schools.

This is where world-renowned ukiyo-e prints were created.

This is the origin of both the first and second shogunates.

And it's small, yet stunningly beautiful. Fuji is practically our neighbor here.

The first week of April is entirely dedicated to the Kamakura Matsuri, or Kamakura Festival. Horseback archery, tea ceremonies, samurai processions, and more. This isn't some tourist spectacle; it's an authentic cultural experience.

I therefore strongly recommend visiting Kamakura during the first week of April to experience the beauty you see in these photos firsthand.

Then there’s the immortal flower: the sacred lotus.

Ah, I nearly forgot. This too: standing nearly 12 meters tall, it’s regarded as Japan’s most magnificent Buddha.