2026 A Full Day Enjoying Kanagawa Prefectural Kanazawa-bunko

This is a day to visit Kanagawa Prefectural Kanazawa-bunko (神奈川県立金沢文庫), which carries on the lineage of one of Japan's oldest samurai-family libraries, founded by a warrior clan in the Kamakura period. Kanazawa-bunko is a museum that has inherited the history of preserving and passing down the books collected by Hojo Sanetoki, a leading figure of the Kamakura shogunate. Opening hours are 9:00-16:30 (last admission 30 minutes before closing). Admission to the special exhibition is 250 yen for adults, 150 yen for those under 20 and students, 100 yen for those 65 and over, 100 yen for high school students, and free for junior high school students and younger; use of the reading room only is free. In the morning, visit the neighboring Shomyoji Temple (称名寺). This temple, associated with Hojo Sanetoki, has a Pure Land-style garden where a vermilion-lacquered arched bridge and a flat bridge cross the pond, a precious landscape that conveys the atmosphere of the Kamakura period. After walking through the garden, head through the tunnel to Kanazawa-bunko: the very location connecting the temple and the library tells the story of knowledge in the Kamakura period. This is a course like a journey through time, given to families who love books and history. Closed on Mondays (open if a national holiday), and closed from December 28 to January 4 for the New Year holidays.