Tokyo Days 29 - Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Another major attraction I paid a visit to during my trip to Kamakura was the Hachimangu Shrine. Officially known as Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, this is the most important Shinto shrine in the Kanagawa prefecture on top of being one of the largest too.

It would be hard for you to miss it with a large red gate greeting you upon arrival.

Standing tall, this is a genuinely imposing structure.

To mark the arrival of summer, there were various decorations and banners hung up.

Even the attendees too were dressed in coloful yukata(s).

Somehow, this tree makes me feel like it is on fire.

There is a slight walk before the main shrine itself. As it is currently summer, there were several stores set up on either side of the path. As summer progresses, there will surely be more and more stores set up.

Right outside the main shrine was a sub-structure which many visitors seemed to be flocking to for photographs.

Right behind it, lies the main shrine atop a flight of stairs.

The main shrine may look comparatively small at first glance but, it actually houses a much larger structure behind it.

No shrine is complete without its guard dog.

And so, the climb begins. These stairs look much steeper when up close.

There were no shortage of people, both locals and foreigners, crowding outside the main shrine to say a prayer.

Here is a look at the side structures of the main shrine. Even from here, you get a peek at the abundant greenery surrounding the shrine.

From the elevated main shrine's platform, you are able to appreciate the surrounding greenery better.

A look at the main shrine from a different angle.

Even on this particular weekday, there were particularly a lot of shrine priest and priestesses which made me wonder if there was something major going on or in the works.

With that quick visit, I decided to head back for the day before the sun set. With that, marked the end of my day as well as today's post. Tokyo Days (and SIF Coverage) will be taking a break over the weekend as I head to Hokkaido hence, a delayed coverage of it would come in the week to follow. Until then, thanks so much for reading and have yourself a great day ahead!