Not far from our Shinjuku hotel is Kamakura's Great Buddha. This is the town's main attraction -- not the Candle Tower, the Shrines and Temples, or shopping. It is larger than I expected. Made of copper, it is greenish. At one time, as the guide told us, it was covered in goldleaf, which can still be barely seen in some areas. Sitting on huge granite blocks, the Buddha's base has an entrance to the inside room. Like the entry and the inside room, there are separate fees. Because of the light rain, we saw it from the shelter of the adjacent building's patio. It is one of the historic icons of Japan.

My family visited Kamakura area on Nov 29 for momijigari, and we had a wonderful day beyond expectations. We followed the suggested path, and it didn't disappoint. The blazing crimson maple leaves and the golden gingo dressed Kamakura on a festive mood. The sun was shining so bright making the fall color more vibrant and the experience more exciting. Attached are some stunning pictures to share.

One of the most amazing sights from my trip! I was completely absorbed by the daibutsu and it felt very serene. We arrived about 40 minutes before closing time and loved seeing it near sunset (quite early in the Autumn).

I went to see the ancient Kamakura Daibutsu (or "The Great Buddha of Kamakura") and was surprised (in a positive way) that there weren't so many people at the temple. Maybe because it was off-season? The Buddha radiates tranquility and triggers a sense of awe. And there aren't many famous statues that you can also see from the inside! A temple well worth seeing and a historical Buddha. Do you need more reasons than that?

For me, the Daibutsu of Kamakura is a must visit. He is. I feel the most beautiful buddha. It doesn't matter how many people are there. If you just sit or stand and let him wash over you, the experience will make you feel calm, at peace, and lost in the moment. If you go to Japan and don't visit, it would be a travesty.

Impressive Buddha statue worth a train ride to Kamakura. Souvenirs available and shops and restaurants along the road from the train stop to the site. Visited on a weekday so it was not terribly crowded.

Like others have said in the reviews, I wouldn't go too far out of my way to come visit the Buddha but Kamakura is a nice little town in itself so it's worth the journey. It's nice just to walk around and its not as busy compared to the other tourist locations which is always good. Apparently you can also go inside the statue but it was far too hot the day we went and it was closed off.

The Buddha statue is quite impressive. It’s also located very close to Hasa-dera Temple which is another must-see sight in the area. We spent about 20 minutes here. There’s not much else to see but it’s worth it as the statue is very memorable. If you you’re going to Kamakura you should have this and the Hasa-dear temple as your top priorities.

Very easy to visit as an English speaker. From Yokohama or Tokyo take the subway to the electric train station and get off at the Kamakura station a short 3/4 mile walk up the Main Street to the temple grounds. Reasonable admission and access to inside the Buddha.

This is definitely one of those places that you really have to see. The Buddha is huge and very impressive when you realise how old it is. You can go inside it (there's a small extra fee) and you can feel how warm it is when the sun shines on it. There isn't much else here and the grounds are small, but I think it's still worth seeing. There is a souvenir shop with some excellent green tea ice cream too. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't completely rammed full of people.