A Film Lover’s Guide to Kamakura, Japan
Most visits to Kamakura follow the city’s own little Golden Route: the Great Buddha at Kotokuin Temple, Hasedera Temple, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, maybe the bamboo grove of Hokokuji Temple. It’s a great way to get to know the old samurai capital of Japan, but there’s so much more to the city, even outside its hidden […] The post A Film Lover’s Guide to Kamakura, Japan appeared first on Tokyo…
Kamakura, a city with a rich cinematic history, is more than just the well-trodden Golden Route of popular tourist attractions. Movie enthusiasts can delve deeper into the city's film history by exploring its secret sites. The Shochiku Ofuna Shopping Center, once the back lot of the Shochiku movie studio, is a testament to Kamakura's golden age of cinema.
The studio, founded in 1895, produced notable films such as Carmen Comes Home (1951) and Tokyo Story (1953), the latter filmed in the interior scenes at Kamakura. However, the Shochiku studio closed down in 2000 and was demolished.
For a more spiritual connection to Kamakura’s movie history, visitors can pay homage at Engakuji Temple, the final resting place of acclaimed director Yasujiro Ozu. Ozu's grave, adorned with the character "mu" ("nothingness"), is a serene spot that attracts only a few visitors. Kamakura is also the final sanctuary of legendary director Akira Kurosawa, who is interred at Anyoin Temple.
The Kamakura City Kawakita Film Museum, located near Komachi-dori shopping street, offers an informative and engaging glimpse into Japanese cinema. Housed in the former residence of Nagamasa Kawakita and his wife, who promoted Japanese movies abroad, the museum features rotating exhibitions on major directors and actors, along with historic posters, projectors, and reels.
Lastly, film fans can discover Kamakura's cinematic influence in unexpected places, such as the world-famous Slam Dunk crossing at Kamakura-Koko-Mae Station and the serene Our Little Sister scenes at Gokurakuji Station and Chikaramochiya sweets shop.
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