Kanagawa Prefecture

Region · 🇯🇵 Japan

Population 9,216,009

Area 2,420 km²

Time zone Asia/Tokyo

Official website www.pref.kanagawa.jp

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Featured Lists

Dirk Beyer / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Kanagawa Essentials

Kanagawa spans from the historic coastal city of Kamakura, home to the 13-meter bronze Great Buddha, to the volcanic landscapes of Hakone. Yokohama features modern landmarks like the 296-meter Landmark Tower, the traditional Sankeien Garden, and specialized food museums dedicated to ramen. The region also preserves feudal history at Odawara Castle and celebrates contemporary culture at the Fujiko F Fujio Museum. Natural highlights include the sulfuric vents of Owakudani and sightseeing cruises across Lake Ashi.

13 places

leon&mae / CC BY 2.0

Editor's Choice

Hakone offers a diverse range of cultural and natural landmarks within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The region features Japan’s first open-air museum with large-scale sculptures and the Pola Museum of Art, which houses a vast collection of Impressionist masterpieces. Visitors can explore the active volcanic landscape of Owakudani, known for its sulfur vents, or visit the Italian-inspired Hakone Glass no Mori. For relaxation, the area includes Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, a spa facility offering both traditional hot springs and themed baths like coffee and wine.

5 places

Douglaspperkins / CC BY 3.0

Top Museums in Kanagawa

Kanagawa Prefecture offers a diverse range of cultural institutions, from the open-air sculpture gardens and Impressionist collections of Hakone to Yokohama’s specialized culinary museums dedicated to ramen and cup noodles. Historical sites include the reconstructed Odawara Castle and the Mikasa battleship, while the Fujiko F Fujio Museum celebrates Japan’s manga heritage. Visitors can also explore traditional Japanese architecture at Nihon Minka-en or view extensive model railway collections and maritime history in the Minato Mirai district.

20 places

Koichi Oda / CC BY-SA 2.0

Religious Sites in Kanagawa

Kanagawa Prefecture hosts a diverse array of religious sites, from the coastal shrines of Kamakura to the mountain sanctuaries of Hakone. This collection includes Kawasaki Daishi, a major center for Shingon Buddhism, and Sojiji Temple, a primary head temple of the Soto Zen school. Visitors can find historic Shinto shrines like the 8th-century Hakone-jinja, Eastern Orthodox architecture in Yokohama, and ancient Buddhist temples across Fujisawa and Hiratsuka that date back over a millennium.

15 places

Kobak / CC BY-SA 2.5

Best Views in Kanagawa

This collection spans Kanagawa’s varied geography, offering vantage points from the 273-meter Sky Garden at Yokohama Landmark Tower to the 1,340-meter summit of Mount Shindainichi in the Tanzawa range. Coastal views include the historic Port of Yokohama and the serene Hayama Marina on the Miura Peninsula. Inland, the Hakone area features the Lakeside Observation Building, a former Imperial summer residence, while the peaks of Mounts Takao, Jinba, and Maku provide expansive views across the Kanto Plain and Sagami Bay.

12 places

babyface.u / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Best Parks & Gardens in Kanagawa

Kanagawa Prefecture features a diverse array of green spaces, from the historic grounds of Odawara Castle to Western-style landscapes like Yokohama Park, established in 1875. The region is home to traditional Japanese gardens such as Sankei-en and specialized botanical sites like the Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands. Coastal retreats like Yamashita Park and Arasaki Park provide waterfront views, while inland areas like Taura Ume-no-Sato and the Yokosuka Iris Garden showcase seasonal displays of plum blossoms and irises.

15 places