Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-09-15 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
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Our guide
Kōtoku-in is a Jōdo-shū temple in Kamakura, and it is famous for one thing: the Great Buddha of Kamakura, a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amitābha. It is one of the best-known images of Japan and a National Treasure, and the temple is one of the twenty-two historic sites in Kamakura's proposal for UNESCO World Heritage status.
For a very small extra fee you can go inside the Buddha itself, which is possible until 16:30 all year, and no booking is needed. Hase Station is about 650 m away in a straight line.
Kamakura's other great sights are a short trip away: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is about 2.1 km in a straight line, Kenchō-ji 2.4 km and Engaku-ji 2.5 km.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Kamakura Budda Daibutsu front 1885 — Dirk Beyer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Kamakura Daibutsu side view — Astrooscar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kamakura Daibutsu-2 — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kamakura Daibutsu-5 — 江戸村のとくぞう · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kamakura Daibutsu 20191214 — QUICPay · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kamakura Daibutsu 20170210 — Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 高徳院鎌倉大仏20190626-P1030418 — くろふね · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- Interior Kamakura Daibutsu head — Torsodog · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Portrait in front of Kamakura Daibutsu, Kōtoku-in, Kamakura, Japan (1914 by Elstner Hilton) — A.Davey from Portland, Oregon, EE UU · CC BY 2.0 · source · resized
- Kamakura Daibutsu 2208 — Gnixih · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Kōtoku-in (高徳院) is a Buddhist temple of the Jōdo-shū sect in the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Its mountain name is Daii-zan (大異山), and its common temple name is Shōjōsen-ji (清浄泉寺). The temple is renowned for The Great Buddha of Kamakura (鎌倉大仏, Kamakura Daibutsu), a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amitābha, which is one of the most famous icons of Japan. It is also a designated National Treasure, and one of the twenty-two historic sites included in Kamakura's proposal for inclusion in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-15 · Kōtoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura): visiting hours and fees
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Temple
Nearby station
Nearby station: Hase, about 650 m from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
Where to stay nearby
Hotels near Kotoku-in Great Buddha on Agoda
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