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Introduction to Kamakura

Links to Subjects
Introduction to Kamakura
History Geographic Position Area Circumference
Length of Coastline Extention Population Households
Meteorological Conditions City Flower City Emblem "Sasarindou" City Tree
Sister Cities
Nice Hagi Ueda Ashikaga
Dung Huang Sister city visit incentive

An Introduction to Kamakura
button History

At the end of the 12th century, Yoritomo Minamoto, chief of the Genji family, destroyed the rival Heike family, and was conferred the title of "Seii-Taishogun" (the generalissimo for the subjugation of frontier) by the Emperor.
Minamoto opened a new government in Kamakura-the first Shogunate government. This type of government continued until the middle of the 19th century.
Minamoto structured governmental organizations and commenced the creation of a new capital. By about 1230, when Minamoto's urban design was completed, the Kamakura government had attained a high level of prosperity.
Furthermore, Kamakura had become a center of politics, diplomacy, culture, and other activities. Trade flourished with the Chinese Sung and Yan dynasties by way of Wakae Island, Japan's oldest man-made harbor.
A variety of Chinese influences, such as Zen sect Buddhism, Zen-style construction, Buddha sculptures and imagery, and carved lacquer ware, were imported. These traditional arts and cultures transcended the prosperous history and culture of medieval Japan.
button Geographic Position
  • Eastern border: 139 35' east longitude (Juniso-Nanamagari)
  • Western border: 139 29' east longitude (Koshigoe 3-chome)
  • Northern border: 35 21' north latitude (Sekiya Toshoin)
  • Southern border: 35 17' north latitude (Zaimokuza 6-chome)
button Land Area (unit: square kilometers)

  • Total : 39.53
  • Kamakura Area : 14.22
  • Koshigoe Area : 4.21
  • Fukasawa Area : 8.22
  • Ofuna Area : 8.40
  • Tamanawa Area : 4.48
button Circumference
  • 35.20 km
button Length of Coastline
  • 7.00 km
button Extension
  • East-West: 8.75 km
  • North-South: 5.20 km
button Population (as of January 2008)

  • 173,588
  • Male: 82,330; Female: 91,258
button Households (as of January 2008)
  • 71,578
button Meteorological Conditions (2006)
  • Average temperature: 16.0℃
  • Average humidity: 80.0%
  • Average wind velocity: 3.4 miles
button City Flower

Gentian (gentian family)
City flower (gentian)

The gentian silently puts forth purple flowers in autumn. The plant prefers dry soil or grassland, and its opposite leaves resemble those of bamboo grass.
A design mix of bamboo grass leaves and gentian flowers is Kamakura's city emblem.
button City Emblem "Sasarindou"

Bamboo grass leaves and gentian flowers
City emblem (sasarindou)

Established: November 3, 1952

What is "Sasarindou"?

The "Sasarindou" is a crest designed with bamboo grass leaves and gentian flowers. It was first used as a cloth pattern for the nobility in the Fujiwara era and is also known as the family crest of the Murakami-Genji family.
However, the popular assertion that "Sasarindou" is the crest of the Kamakura-Genji and Seiwa-Genji families has no academic support.
button City Tree

Wild cherry tree (member of the rose)
City tree (wild cherry tree)

The wild cherry tree features five-pedaled white flowers with new leaves each spring. These cherry blossoms have long been beloved by the Japanese, and their beauty is celebrated in many tanka (31-syllable Japanese poems).
In centuries past, the many wild cherry trees found in Kamakura's mountains were used as firewood and for making charcoal.
Each spring, we continue to enjoy the spectacular cherry blossoms that remain in the mountains.

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Sister Cities
Kamakura has sister city agreements with three domestic cities--Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture; Ueda, Nagano Prefecture; and Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture--and two foreign cities--Nice, France; Dunhuang, China.
The goal of these arrangements is to promote diverse exchanges in education, culture, and industry.

button City of Nice

City of Nice

Phone: +33-4-97-13-20-00

Nice, as a center of tourism and culture, boasts a long history and has much in common with Kamakura.
Kamakura initiated its sister city program with an agreement with Nice on November 9, 1966.
Nice is frequented by tourists throughout the year; it is the center of the Cote d'Azur, one of the world's best-known vacation resorts. The city's boulevards are covered with many kinds of flowers in all seasons.

Link to Nice homepage

button City of Hagi

City of Hagi
510 Eko, Hagi 758-0041
Phone: (0838) 25-3131

In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the municipalization as a city, Kamakura entered into a sister city agreement with Hagi on November 2, 1979.
Hagi resembles Kamakura in that it has a quarter steeped in history and serves as a center of tourism in the Chugoku region.
Yoshida Shouin disciples, Shinsaku Takasugi, Genba Kusaka, Takayoshi Kido, Hirobumi Ito, and others who participated in the movement to overthrow the Shogunate hailed from Hagi. Their efforts led to the Meiji Restoration, which changed Japan's feudal system into a modern society.
The city is also known for its Hagi-yaki pottery.

button City of Ueda

Ueda
1-11-16, Ote, Ueda 386-0024
Phone: (0268) 22-4100

Ueda is called "Kamakura in Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture)." Ueda was part of the "Kamakura Highway," and an important government safeguard office was located here during the Kamakura period.
The sister city agreement with Kamakura was concluded on November 5, 1979. Ueda is the third largest city, following Nagano and Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture.
The city features Ueda Castle, which was constructed by warrior commandant Masayuki Sanada in 1583.
Ueda's streets still remind one of its historical past.

button City of Ashikaga

City of Ashikaga
3-2145, Honjo, Ashikaga 326-0808
Phone: (0284) 20-2222

The Ashikaga family, who built the basis of the city of Ashikaga, descended from the Seiwa-Genji clan. Therefore, Ashikaga has had a longstanding relationship with Kamakura.
On April 26, 1982, the sister city agreement was concluded to confirm the bonds and the will of the ancestors.
Ashikaga is located in the southwestern part of Tochigi Prefecture. It has a long history; in the literature of the Nara period (8th century) it was known as the "city of textiles."
Ashikaga also has many landmarks, including Ashikaga Gakko, the oldest school in Japan, and Shoaji Temple, which is closely related with the Ashikaga family.

button DUNG HUANG CITY

Dung Huang City 1 Dung Huang City 2

Phone:86-937-8822236

Dunhuang is a city rich in history and famous for the Mogao Grottoes which were registered as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
The sister city agreement with Kamakura was concluded on September 28, 1998.
An ancient city in China, Dunhuang prospered as a post along the Silk Road and a great many Buddhist artworks are located there.

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Sister City Visit Incentives
Kamakura grants an incentive allowance to residents visiting its sister cities for the purpose of promoting exchanges in education, culture, and industry.

Requirements This allowance is intended for a group of city residents or those working for a business within the city. Group members must be elementary school age or older. Group members must stay at a hotel in the sister city. Tours to a sister city must be made up of ten or more members.
Allowance 5,000 per person for a visit to Nice or Dunhuang, 3,000 for a visit to Hagi, and 1,500 for a visit to Ueda or Ashikaga.
An organization may send no more than 100 persons.
How to apply Submit application with the plan of exchange program, travel schedule and list of participants, within two months and at least two weeks before departure.
Afterwards, submit a report to the same division, including hotel receipts, within 14 days of return.
Inquiries Cultural Promotion & International Affairs Division
Phone: (0467) 23-3000 (extension 2560)

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