How Do You Get to Kamakura from Tokyo and the Airports?
This guide is for visitors who want to reach Kamakura, the coastal city in Kanagawa Prefecture, from Tokyo, Yokohama, the two Tokyo airports or the Shinkansen. It sticks to the train routes and times that the Kamakura City Tourist Association publishes on its official English site.
We read the association's pages on 2026-10-04. Train times are the association's approximate figures, not timetables. Check a route planner on the day you travel.
The short answer
The association says Kamakura is about one hour by train from Tokyo, and about 40 minutes from Shin-Yokohama Station, the nearest Shinkansen stop. It is also reachable from Haneda Airport. The city sits in Kanagawa Prefecture, next to Tokyo.
For most visitors the answer is the JR Yokosuka Line. It runs directly to Kamakura Station from Tokyo, Shinagawa and Yokohama. The association also names the JR Shonan Shinjuku Line as a way in from outside the city. Both lines call at Kamakura Station, and the association lists Kita-Kamakura Station as the other JR stop that visitors use.
From central Tokyo
From Tokyo Station, the association gives about 60 minutes on the JR Yokosuka Line to Kamakura Station, with no change. From Shinagawa Station, it gives about 50 minutes on the same line. From Omiya Station, north of Tokyo, it gives about 90 minutes on the JR Shonan Shinjuku Line.
Get off at Kamakura Station for the town centre, Komachi Street and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Get off at Kita-Kamakura Station if you want Engakuji Temple or Kenchoji Temple first. The association points out that Kita-Kamakura is where those two temples are.
From Haneda Airport
The association's route is two steps. Take the Keikyu Line from Haneda Airport to Yokohama Station, which takes about 30 minutes. Then change to the JR Yokosuka Line, which takes about 25 minutes to Kamakura Station. That is roughly an hour of riding, plus the time to change trains.
Its introduction page describes the trip from Haneda as about one hour.
From Narita Airport
From Narita Airport the association gives about 110 minutes on the JR Narita Express to Ofuna Station. From Ofuna you change to the JR Yokosuka Line, and Kamakura Station is about 10 minutes away. Its introduction page rounds the whole trip to about two hours.
From the Shinkansen and nearby cities
If you arrive by Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama, the association lists two short legs. The JR Yokohama Line takes about 15 minutes to Yokohama Station. The JR Yokosuka Line then takes about 25 minutes to Kamakura Station.
From Odawara Station, the association gives about 40 minutes on the JR Tokaido Line to Ofuna Station, then about 10 minutes on the Yokosuka Line to Kamakura. From Shin-Osaka it lists about 150 minutes on the Tokaido Shinkansen to Shinagawa Station, then about 50 minutes on the Yokosuka Line.
Ofuna Station appears in several of these routes. It is a transfer point for the Yokosuka Line and the Shonan Monorail.
Which route should you pick?
If you start in central Tokyo, the Yokosuka Line from Tokyo or Shinagawa is the simplest choice because it needs no change. If you start at Haneda, the Keikyu Line and a change at Yokohama is the association's suggestion. If you start at Narita, expect the longest trip of the four, with a change at Ofuna.
The association describes Kamakura as an easy day trip from Tokyo. It also says the city is close to Yokohama, and has good access to the hot spring resort of Hakone and to Mount Fuji. Plan your first day around one station, either Kita-Kamakura or Kamakura, so you do not double back.
Why the association says to take the train
The access page warns that roads near popular sightseeing spots are very busy on both weekdays and weekends. It recommends public transport rather than a car. If you do drive, expect slow traffic around the centre. Parking is not covered on the pages we read, so we leave it out.
Before you arrive
- Coin lockers around Kamakura Station are limited. The tourist association runs a paid luggage storage service near the west exit. Our guide to getting around Kamakura has the hours and prices.
- The association asks visitors to follow its tourism etiquette, such as not eating while walking in crowded areas.
- At unmanned stations, the way to ride a train can differ from a normal station. The association says to check this in advance.
What we could not verify, and therefore left out
- Train fares. The access page gives times only.
- Exact departure times. The association gives approximate ride times.
- Parking prices and car-park locations.
Related guides
- How do you get around Kamakura by train, bus and day pass?
- What is Kamakura? Samurai history, Zen temples and the sea
Sources
All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.
- Access (Kamakura City Tourist Association, Visit Kamakura) — (train routes and approximate times)
- JR (Kamakura City Tourist Association) — (JR lines and Kita-Kamakura)
- About Kamakura (Kamakura City Tourist Association) — (travel time from the airports)