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Kamakura Great Buddha (Kotoku-in): Entrance Fee, Hours, Going Inside and How to Get There (2026)

Updated 2026-10-13

If you only remember one time for the Great Buddha, make it 15:00. That's when the temple stops writing handwritten goshuin (the temple stamp in your book), and it's a comfortable time to still get inside the statue, which closes at 16:30. The grounds stay open longer, until 17:00 from October to March (17:30 from April to September), with last entry 15 minutes before closing. Entry costs ¥300 for adults and ¥150 for children aged 6–12; under-6s are free. Going inside the statue is ¥50 more per person. No booking is needed. Kotoku-in is a 7-minute walk from Enoden Hase Station, three Enoden stops from Kamakura. All of this comes from the temple's official site, read on 2026-10-13.

Timetable bars for October to March: Kotoku-in grounds 8:00 to 17:00 with last entry 16:45, inside the statue 8:00 to 16:30 (enter by 16:20), handwritten goshuin 9:00 to 15:00, printed goshuin 8:00 to 16:30, temple shop 8:30 to 16:45, Hasedera entry until 16:30. A pencil line at 15:00 marks the time to arrive for all of them. Tickets: adult 300 yen, child 6 to 12 150 yen, inside the statue 50 yen more, goshuin 300 yen or 600 yen for the autumn design. Size bars: Kamakura statue 11.312 m and 121 t, Nara Todai-ji 14.98 m and 250 t.
The statue interior and the handwritten goshuin close well before the gate does. Arrive by 15:00 and nothing is shut.

Entrance fee

Ticket Price Notes
General admission ¥300 high school age and up; junior high students pay this too
Child (age 6–12) ¥150
Under 6 free preschool and kindergarten groups also free
Inside the statue +¥50 per person on top of admission, 8:00–16:30
Goshuin (temple stamp) ¥300 seasonal autumn design ¥600

Opening hours

What October–March April–September
Temple grounds 8:00–17:00 8:00–17:30
Last entry to the grounds 16:45 17:15
Inside the statue 8:00–16:30 (enter by 16:20) same
Handwritten goshuin 9:00–15:00 same
Printed goshuin and seals 8:00–16:30 same
Temple shop 8:30–16:45 same

Kotoku-in has no closing day listed and takes no reservations: you just walk up to the gate.

Is going inside the Great Buddha worth ¥50?

Yes. It's the cheapest extra on any Kamakura day, and it's the one thing at Kotoku-in you can't see from a photo. Inside, the temple says you can see the lattice pattern left by the 40 separate castings that made the statue, and the seams where the parts were joined. It's a short visit, not a tour: you walk in, look up, and walk out.

Two rules for inside: no selfie sticks, and no filming. And remember it closes at 16:30, half an hour before the gate, so do it first if you arrive late.

How big is it?

The temple publishes the measurements next to the Great Buddha of Todai-ji in Nara, which is the one people usually compare it with:

Kamakura (Kotoku-in) Nara (Todai-ji)
Height with platform 13.35 m 18.03 m
Statue 11.312 m 14.98 m
Face 2.35 m 5.33 m
Ears 1.90 m 2.54 m
Hair coils 656 492
Weight 121 t 250 t

Nara's is taller and about twice as heavy. Kamakura's sits in the open air, which the temple notes is unusual for a large Buddha in Japan. That's the real difference on the day: in Nara you look at the statue inside a hall, in Kamakura you see it against the sky, from any angle in the courtyard. The temple also says traces of the original gold still show on both cheeks. Look for them.

How to get there

By Enoden from Kamakura (the usual way)

By bus from Kamakura Station

From the East Exit, take the Enoden Bus (stop 1) or the Keikyu Bus (stop 6) to Daibutsu-mae, about 10 minutes. The stop is right by the gate, which helps if someone in your group can't walk far. On busy weekends the road to Hase is slow, so the train is usually the safer bet.

From Tokyo

The JR Yokosuka Line runs from Tokyo Station to Kamakura without a change; pay with a Suica or other IC card. From Shinjuku, the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass (¥1,640) covers the Odakyu train to Fujisawa and every Enoden ride, Hase included. Whether it beats single tickets depends on your route: our Kamakura and Enoshima cost guide and Enoden 1-day pass guide do the math.

Rules at the gate: food, drinks and pets

This catches people every day, because Hase-dori is lined with snack stalls right up to the temple.

Goshuin: dates when it's printed only

A goshuin is a temple stamp with handwritten calligraphy. Kotoku-in writes it in your book from 9:00 to 15:00. On crowded days it hands out printed sheets instead (¥300, or ¥600 for the seasonal autumn design). For autumn 2026, the temple has announced printed only on 10–12 October and 21–23 November (the long weekends), and says it may happen on other crowded days too. If the handwritten one matters to you, come on a weekday, and before 15:00.

Hasedera, 5 minutes away

Hasedera, the temple of the Hase Kannon, is about a 5-minute walk from the Great Buddha according to Kotoku-in (the prefecture's model course allows 10). It costs ¥400 for adults and ¥200 for elementary school children. From October to March it takes visitors until 16:30 and shuts at 17:00; from April to June, until 17:00. Our call: see the Great Buddha first, then Hasedera. The statue interior closes at 16:30 and the walk down to Hase Station is shorter from Hasedera.

Doing several temples in one day? The Kamakura temple fees calculator adds up your group's total, and our Kamakura day trip itinerary puts the Great Buddha in the right slot between Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and Enoshima. If you'd rather arrive on foot, the Daibutsu hiking course ends at the temple: see Kamakura hiking trails.

Tours that include the Great Buddha

PR Affiliate links (disclosure): booking through them supports this site at no extra cost. Check whether a tour includes the ¥300 entry and the ¥50 interior fee before you book.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring a stroller or wheelchair to the Great Buddha?

Yes. The grounds have ramps, but the temple warns that many areas are bumpy, so stay with the stroller or wheelchair user. The ticket counter lends wheelchairs from 9:00 to 16:00 (return by 16:30), for use inside the grounds only. There is one accessible toilet.

Can I park at Kotoku-in?

No. The temple has no parking, and its parking for disabled visitors has been discontinued. Only bicycles and 50cc scooters can park there. Use a public car park nearby or come by Enoden.

Which Buddha is the Kamakura Great Buddha?

It's Amida Buddha (Amitabha), the main image of Kotoku-in, a Pure Land (Jodo) Buddhist temple. The statue is a National Treasure. The temple says nobody knows who made it.

Official sources (checked 2026-10-13)

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