Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is designated as an Important Cultural Property and is the most important shrine in Kamakura. The approach to the Hongu (senior shrine) of the shrine is 1.8 kilometers long. It was first founded in 1063 by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi. It was later rebuilt and moved to its current location in 1180 by Minamoto no Yoritomo as a celebration for his victory over the Taira Clan. For a long time, Buddhism and Shinto religion were blended at the shrine until the Meiji Restoration forced the separation of the two. After years of decline the shrine was able to regain its former luster after World War II. The steps to the main shrine is where a 1000- year-old gingko once stood until it was uprooted by a storm in 2010. It is said that Minamoto no Sanetomo was assassinated along those steps by his power hungry nephew.
