There are many cities that are likely to be mentioned in 2022, but if any city is likely to attract the most attention, it will be Kamakura.
The reason is simple: Kamakura is the setting for NHK’s 2022 historical drama “The 13 Lords Of Kamakura”. The show features the most powerful person in the Kamakura Shogunate.
The story is about the Genpei War and the birth of the Kamakura Shogunate, as well as the struggle for power.
In addition to the 13 Lords, the cast includes Minamoto no Yoritomo、 the founder of the Kamakura shogunate.
This Yoritomo worshiped at the oldest shrine in Kamakura, the Amanawa Shinmei Shrine.

What Is Amanawa Shinmei Shrine?

Amanawa Shinmei Shrine is located on a hill about a 6-minute walk from Hase Station on the Enoden Line, and is the town deity of Hase.
The shrine has a long history with it being founded by Gyoki in 710.

Consideration 1: Shrines That Have Been Guarded By The Chieftains Of The Minamoto Clan For Generations.

Kamakura was the base of chieftains such as Minamoto no Yorinobu and Minamoto no Yoriyoshi for generations before Minamoto no Yoritomo.Of course, it also became the center of politics when Minamoto no Yoritomo was appointed Seiitaishogun (barbarian general) and established the shogunate in 1192.

There is a reason why it was chosen as a base. It is the topography of Kamakura.
Kamakura is a city located at the base of the Miura Hills that run through the Miura Peninsula. It is characterized by a narrow coastal plain that quickly becomes a steep slope. In other words, of the four sides surrounding the city, the south side is the sea, and the remaining three sides (east, west, and north) are mountains, making it a natural fortress.

The Amanawa Shinmei Shrine in Hase is a condensed version of the topography of the entire Kamakura area.
Combined with the fact that it is the oldest in Kamakura, it is no wonder that it is a suitable place to pray for the prosperity of the family.

Consideration 2: A Spectacular View Point Only From The High Ground

The main deity of Amanawa Shinmei Shrine is Amaterasu Omikami. 
The shrine is located on a hill in Hase, with the Pacific Ocean stretching out before one’s eyes and a spectacular view of the beautiful sunrise from the horizon. It is a location befitting a place of faith.

Consideration 3: A Fascinating Place That Knows No Time

Kamakura is an area loved by many literary figures.
One of the first of these is Yasunari Kawabata, who in 1968 became the first Japanese to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In his later years, Kawabata lived in front of the Amanawa Shinmei Shrine, where he wrote “The Sound of the Mountain,” which is regarded as the pinnacle of postwar Japanese literature and won the Noma Literary Award in 1954.
This book is full of the charms woven into the fabric of the Amanawa Shinmei Shrine.

A Place Where You Can Find Your Own Unique Scenery

Today, Amanawa Shinmei Shrine is an unstaffed shrine.
Located far from the busy city, it is a place where time passes peacefully.
It is a good place to heal your stressed mind, to think about history, or to admire the sunrise and other seasonal scenery. You will find your own unique scenery and time at Amanawa Shinmei Shrine.

Amanawa Shinmei Shrine