Tokyo to Kamakura: JR Lines, the Odakyu and Enoden Route, and What to Know Before You Go

Standing in front of the departure board at Shinjuku or Tokyo Station, a traveler with a free day sees the names of lines that all seem to head somewhere south. Kamakura, a seaside city that was the seat of Japan’s government in the days of the shoguns, is reached by train from Tokyo, and there is more than one way to do it. The choices come down to a JR through train or a private railway followed by a small local line.

How do you get from Tokyo to Kamakura?

You get from Tokyo to Kamakura by rail, and the most direct way is on a JR East line that runs out of the capital and into Kanagawa Prefecture. Two JR services carry travelers that way: the Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station and the Shonan-Shinjuku Line from the Shinjuku side of the city.

A third route leaves Shinjuku on a private railway and finishes on a little seaside line. All three end in a city that sits in the Kanto region, on Honshu, the same island as Tokyo.

The Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station

JR East operates the Yokosuka Line, which connects Tokyo Station with Kurihama in Yokosuka, and the company commonly gives that name to the whole run, even though the official name belongs only to the stretch between Ofuna and Kurihama. Kamakura lies on this line, between Ofuna and Zushi. If you are starting in Marunouchi or near Ginza and Nihonbashi, with their department stores and the financial district, this is the line that starts at your doorstep.

Local trains on the Yokosuka Line make all stops, and most are made up of eleven cars, two of them Green cars, the JR name for first class. Some trains between Tokyo and Zushi run longer, and the front cars are detached at Zushi when the train goes on to Kurihama. For a day trip, this simply means choosing a train that is marked for Zushi or beyond and getting off before it ends its run.

The Shonan-Shinjuku Line from the west side of the city

The Shonan-Shinjuku Line is a through service with no track of its own. It borrows sections of the Takasaki, Utsunomiya, Yokosuka and Tokaido Main Lines, which lets one train carry passengers from the north of the Tokyo area to the coast without a change. It began running in December 2001, and its stations carry numbers that begin with the letters JS.

Trains on the Utsunomiya Line and Yokosuka Line side of the service run as far as Zushi, past Kamakura. That makes the line a way to reach the coast straight from Shinjuku, with no walk across the city to Tokyo Station. Some of its trains have Green cars, and the newer E233-3000 series cars have been joining the older E231-1000 series since March 2015.

The Odakyu line and the Enoden

The third route leaves Shinjuku on the private Odakyu line to Fujisawa. There you change onto the Enoden line, which runs the last stretch into Kamakura. The trip takes about 90 minutes. It suits someone who would rather ride a small local railway for the final part of the journey than stay on a JR train all the way.

Which options are there?

There are three options: the JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station, the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line from Shinjuku, and the Odakyu line to Fujisawa with a change onto the Enoden. Which one fits depends mostly on where your day in Tokyo begins and whether you want to change trains.

How often the Shonan-Shinjuku trains run

The frequencies given for the Shonan-Shinjuku Line differ by section. On the Utsunomiya Line and Yokosuka Line route, the pattern covers Koganei to Zushi. On the Takasaki Line and Tokaido Line route, it covers Kagohara to Hiratsuka, and some trains continue to Kozu. A special rapid service between Takasaki and Odawara also runs, and it began in October 2004.

Because the through trains blend several lines, the destination shown on the front of the train matters more than the line color. A train that stops short of the coast, or one that continues beyond Zushi, will each be labeled differently.

The Enoshima-Kamakura Free Pass

One ticket exists for the third route. The Enoshima-Kamakura Free Pass covers a round trip from Shinjuku and gives unlimited use of the Enoden line for one day. It does not include fares on local buses, so a day spent hopping on and off buses around the temples is paid for separately.

A pass like this suits a day that stays on the Enoden line itself, riding between the small stations along the coast. If your plan runs through the hillside temples and the main shopping street instead, the lines in the table are the ones to compare.

Local trains and rapid trains

Local trains in Japan stop at every station, which makes them a fit for short distances, while rapid trains skip the smaller stations and need no supplement. The Yokosuka Line local trains are the first kind. Knowing the difference helps when a board lists several trains with the same final stop and different calling patterns.

What should you know before you travel from Tokyo to Kamakura?

Know first which station you are leaving from, because Tokyo has several operators and your starting point decides the route. In the capital you will find JR trains, Tokyo Metro lines and Toei Subway lines, among others, and only some of them lead to the coast. Japanese trains also have a reputation for being always on time, which lets travelers plan their trips to the minute.

Reading the train and the platform

The Yokosuka Line carries through service onto the Sobu Line toward Chiba, and some trains go as far as Narita Airport. So a train that leaves Tokyo Station may head to the Chiba side instead of the coast. Look at the destination on the sign before you board.

The Shonan-Shinjuku Line has the same trait. Because the service passes through shared sections, you will see trains bound for places such as Takasaki, Kozu and Odawara, in addition to Zushi.

What the line is like past Zushi

Beyond Zushi, the Yokosuka Line runs on toward Kurihama, and the section between Yokosuka and Kurihama is single-tracked. Trains pass one another only at Kinugasa and Kurihama. That belongs to the far end of the line and matters little on a trip that ends in Kamakura.

What to expect once you arrive

Kamakura was the political capital of Japan under the Kamakura shogunate, from 1185 to 1333, and the city today is a place of temples, shrines and quiet lanes in the hills. Many travelers also come for the seafood of the coast, such as shirasu, the tiny whitebait served over rice, and for the shops and snack stalls along Komachi-dori near the station.

Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, and it is a separate place from Tokyo with its own local rail and bus services. Road signs are hard to read if you do not know Japanese, and traffic keeps to the left, which is worth remembering if you cross a street near a station.

Good to know before you go

A trip to the coast from Tokyo is a day of train rides, so it is the ticket choice and the line name on the front of the train that carry the plan. Keep the pass for the Enoden in mind only if your day stays on that line, and bring spare fare for local buses, which the pass does not include. In Tokyo, Ginza and Nihonbashi are among the districts where a day like this can begin, and both lie in the same Kanto region as Kamakura.