Discover Kanagawa
The Great Wave off Kanagawa or the simply, The Great Wave, is considered to be one the most iconic works of Japanese art in the world. Kanagawa-oki Nami Ura in Japanese, literally meaning “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” is a woodblock print from 1830 by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. The Great Wave was the first print in Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. The image depicts an enormous wave on the brink of crashing onto three boats off the coast in Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, while Mount Fuji is seen in the background.
Ancient Cedar Avenue, Hakone
Kanagawa Prefecture is in the Kanto region of Honshu bordering Tokyo to the north, Yamanashi to the northwest and Shizuoka to the west, and is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan. Yokohama is the largest city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second-largest city of the country. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area with Yokohama and many of its cities being major commercial hubs and southern hubs of Tokyo. At one time, Kanagawa Prefecture was the political and economic center of Japan during the Kamakura period (1185–1333) when Kamakura was the de facto capital and the seat of the Kamakura Shogunate.
Kanagawa Prefecture today is a popular place for many visitors with Kamakura and Hakone being on top of the list for side destinations when in Japan!
Places to see in Kanagawa
Kamakura
One of the key features the KCP program offers is the Japanese cultural immersion through lectures and organized excursions to some of the most notable places and events in Japan. Students visit relevant sites in Tokyo as well as other places around the country such as Kamakura.
There are so many things to see and do in Kamakura and one of them is Kamakura Nanakuchi or the Seven Entrances of Kamakura. The area grew to become a popular destination for travelers during the 17th century. The only way for visitors to gain access to the capital during the Kamakura period was through the seven passes that were the entryways to the city. The contemporary Japanese guidebooks began to refer to the city as the Kamakura Nanakuchi.
Yokohama
The red brick warehouses or Akarenga was opened during the Meiji ere when Japan opened its market to the rest of the world in the late 19th century. Yokohama became the main port where trade flowed to the Tokyo area. The well-preserved red brick building served as the clearance point to control the influx of goods through the port.
Tokaido
The Tōkaidō route is about 476 kilometers long that stretches from from Hakone to Mishim. It took people two or three weeks to travel the whole stretch on foot. Many inns that lined the route and it was always an adventure to make one’s way through the famous path.
Kanagawa’s Shonan Gold
Shonan Gold is an orange that was crossed between the Imamura unshiu variety of satsuma orange. It isn’t completely seedless, but there are very few seeds in the fruit. It was developed by an agricultural experiment station run by the Kanagawa Prefecture. The Shonan Gold is succulent, fragrant, sweet, sour and tender. It ripens during April and retains its flavor until May.
