Kamakura Beaches: Yuigahama, Zaimokuza and 2026 Swim Rules

Table of contents

2026 swimming season at a glance
Kamakura’s beaches
Enoshima’s beaches: Katase East and West
Beach rules
Outside the swimming season
A beach day with sights
Getting to the beaches

Kamakura’s coast runs from Zaimokuza in the east past Yuigahama and the cape of Inamuragasaki to Shichirigahama and Koshigoe, and on to Enoshima’s Katase beaches in neighboring Fujisawa. The City of Kamakura opens three of these as supervised swimming beaches each summer: Zaimokuza, Yuigahama and Koshigoe. In the 2026 season they were open from July 1 to August 31, from 9:00 to 17:00. Shichirigahama is not a swimming beach. Every beach here is a short walk from an Enoden or Odakyu station.

2026 swimming season at a glance

Beach	City	2026 season	Swimming hours	Nearest station
Zaimokuza	Kamakura	July 1 to August 31	9:00-17:00	JR/Enoden Kamakura, 15 min on foot
Yuigahama	Kamakura	July 1 to August 31	9:00-17:00	Enoden Wadazuka, Yuigahama or Hase, 5 min
Koshigoe	Kamakura	July 1 to August 31	9:00-17:00	Enoden Koshigoe, 3 min
Shichirigahama	Kamakura	not a swimming beach	n/a	Enoden Shichirigahama, 2 min
Katase East	Fujisawa	July 1 to September 6	9:00-17:00, 8:00 on holidays	Odakyu Katase-Enoshima, 2 min
Katase West and Kugenuma	Fujisawa	July 1 to September 13	9:00-17:00, 8:00 on holidays	Odakyu Katase-Enoshima, 2 min

These are the 2026 season dates published by the City of Kamakura, Fujisawa City and Kanagawa Prefecture; Kamakura announced its 2026 dates on June 11, 2026, so look for the 2027 dates in early summer. Outside the season and outside swimming hours there are no lifeguards. The beaches are free. Each Kamakura swimming beach has free public showers and toilets by its lifeguard station, and beach houses (umi no ie) open along the sand in season. Walking times above are the ones the prefecture and the tourism association give. Enoden fares and times are on our Enoden guide.

Kamakura’s beaches

Yuigahama

Yuigahama is the beach most people mean by “Kamakura beach.” The name once covered the whole 3.2 km shore from Inamuragasaki to Zaimokuza; today the stretch between the Inase and Nameri rivers is Yuigahama. It is 5 minutes on foot from the Enoden stations at Wadazuka, Yuigahama and Hase, and 15 minutes from Kamakura Station. The tourism association calls it the liveliest of the three in summer, with the widest choice of beach houses. In 2016 it became the first beach in Asia to earn the international Blue Flag award, and it has kept it every year since, including 2026.

Yuigahama is also the most accessible: a boardwalk links the beach houses for wheelchairs, and in 2026 the lifeguard station lent an amphibious wheelchair with two helpers on weekends and holidays from July 18 to August 30. During swimming hours pets are kept off the sand around the beach houses. The tourism association warned in August 2026 of frequent thefts of bags left on the sand, so take valuables into the water with you or leave them at a beach house locker.

Swimming 2026 July 1-Aug 31, 9:00-17:00From Hase Stn 5 min on footFrom Kamakura Stn 15 min on footMap Official site

For a room a few minutes from the sand, WeBase Kamakura is a hotel in Yuigahama, 3 minutes on foot from Enoden Yuigahama Station by its listing. Combine a morning swim with the Great Buddha and Hasedera, both short walks inland from Hase Station.

Yuigahama beach looking along the bay. Photo: Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Zaimokuza

Zaimokuza is the east end of the bay, beyond the Nameri River. The prefecture calls it a calm cove where the water stays shallow far out, and the longest of Kamakura’s three swimming beaches; the tourism association recommends it for families with small children. Offshore lies Wakae-jima, a breakwater of piled stones built in the Kamakura period to shelter cargo ships. It is the oldest surviving harbor work in Japan, and at low tide it shows as a line of rocks. From Kamakura Station it is 15 minutes on foot, or 8 minutes on a Keikyu bus toward Zushi via Kotsubo to the Zaimokuza stop, then 2 minutes on foot.

Swimming 2026 July 1-Aug 31, 9:00-17:00From Kamakura Stn 15 min on foot, or bus 8 min + 2 min walkMap Official site

Koshigoe

Koshigoe is Kamakura’s westernmost swimming beach, right next to Fujisawa’s Katase East Beach, and 3 minutes on foot from Enoden Koshigoe Station. It is the quietest of the three, beside a fishing port, with Enoshima straight ahead. Facilities are simpler: one portable toilet, one free shower behind the lifeguard station, and no parking. Walk back through Koshigoe and you can watch the Enoden run down the street like a tram. KAMAKURA DEL COSTA is an apartment stay in Koshigoe.

Swimming 2026 July 1-Aug 31, 9:00-17:00From Koshigoe Stn 3 min on footParking noneMap Official site

Shichirigahama: no swimming

Shichirigahama is the long open beach between Inamuragasaki and Koshigoe, about 4 km from end to end and 2 minutes on foot from Shichirigahama Station. The tourism association says it is not suitable for swimming because of the condition of the coast, and the city does not open it as a swimming beach, so there are no lifeguards. Windsurfers, yachts and walkers use it all year, and the Enoden runs alongside. The city bans fireworks on its beaches and parks from 22:00 to 6:00 and patrols Shichirigahama on summer weekend nights. Kamakura Prince Hotel overlooks the beach near Shichirigahama Station; its listing mentions a shuttle from the station.

Swimming not a swimming beachLength about 4 kmFrom Shichirigahama Stn 2 min on footMap Official site

Rough seas at Shichirigahama in a woodblock print from about 1851. Photo: Utagawa Hiroshige (Japan, Edo, 1797-1858), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Inamuragasaki

The cape between Yuigahama and Shichirigahama is a viewpoint, not a swimming spot. Enoden puts it 10 minutes on foot from Inamuragasaki Station and recommends it for views of Mount Fuji and Enoshima, especially at sunset. In winter, when the air is clearest, it is a good place to end a beach day.

Fee freeFrom Inamuragasaki Stn 10 min on footMap Official site

Enoshima’s beaches: Katase East and West

The beaches on either side of Benten Bridge belong to Fujisawa City, and their season runs past Kamakura’s. Fujisawa counted 1,783,782 beachgoers on its three swimming beaches in 2025.

Katase East Beach

Katase East Beach (Katase Higashihama) lies between Benten Bridge and Koshigoe, facing the island. The prefecture describes it as calm and shallow, busy with yachts and other water sports all year. In 2026 it was open for swimming from July 1 to September 6, from 9:00 to 17:00, and from 8:00 on holidays and during Obon. It is 2 minutes on foot from Odakyu Katase-Enoshima, 5 minutes from Enoden Enoshima and 7 minutes from Shonan Monorail Shonan-Enoshima. Enoshima Hotel’s Island Spa building is about 3 minutes away on the island side, by its listing.

Swimming 2026 July 1-Sept 6, 9:00-17:00From Katase-Enoshima Stn 2 min on footFrom Enoden Enoshima Stn 5 min on footMap Official site

Katase West Beach and Kugenuma

West of the bridge, Katase West Beach runs on into Kugenuma, with Enoshima and, on clear days, Fuji in view. The sand is wide and the water shallow, and the prefecture recommends it for children. It had the longest season in 2026, from July 1 to September 13, with the same hours as the east beach. Enoshima Aquarium is on the shore here. You can book an Enoshima Aquarium e-ticket ahead. The island itself, its shrine and caves are on our Enoshima guide.

Swimming 2026 July 1-Sept 13, 9:00-17:00From Katase-Enoshima Stn 2 min on footMap Official site

Hokusai's view of Enoshima from the Katase shore, with travelers crossing the sand. Photo: Katsushika Hokusai, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Beach rules

Both cities have written rules for their swimming beaches, and staff and security guards patrol in season.

Kamakura (Zaimokuza, Yuigahama, Koshigoe), under the city’s beach manners ordinance:

cover tattoos and tattoo stickers;
no speakers or instruments plugged into power;
no drinking on the sand (beach houses are exempt);
no litter outside the bins, and smoke only at the smoking areas;
no barbecues or fire (beach houses are exempt);
no pets in the sea in the swimming area, and no surfboards, balls, bats or flying discs, during swimming hours (9:00 to 17:00).

Each Kamakura beach also has a soft board area where children and beginners can use soft surfboards, soft nipper boards or finned bodyboards on a leash; no other gear and no swimming there. Life jackets are lent free at the lifeguard stations.

Fujisawa (Katase East, Katase West and Kugenuma), under its 2026 beach rules:

no drinking outside the beach houses;
do not show tattoos in a way that intimidates others;
no bonfires or cooking equipment that uses fire;
no drones and no large tents without permission;
swim only between the flags, and follow the lifeguards;
no pets on the beach or in the sea during opening hours;
take your rubbish home.

Outside the swimming season

From September to June the beaches are open to everyone, with no lifeguards and no beach houses. They are at their best for walking, sunsets and the view of Fuji on clear days. Windsurfers and yachts use Shichirigahama and the Katase beaches all year. The cold months bring the clearest air, and our Kamakura in winter and best time to visit Kamakura pages cover what else is on then. To fit a beach into a day of temples, try the Kamakura itinerary or the day planner, and see things to do in Kamakura for the sights near each station.

Yuigahama on a windy winter day, when the beach belongs to walkers. Photo: Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

A beach day with sights

A summer beach day fits easily around Kamakura’s sights. Swim at Yuigahama in the morning, walk to the Great Buddha in the hot middle of the day, and ride the Enoden west to Enoshima for the sunset. A guided Great Buddha, Hasedera, Enoden and seaside walk covers the Hase side of this day in about three hours. Or start at Zaimokuza, walk back along the bay and finish with lunch near Kamakura Station from our Kamakura food guide. Coming from Tokyo for the day, the Kamakura day trip from Tokyo page compares trains, and the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass can cover the Enoden and the Odakyu if you return from Katase-Enoshima. Add up trains, lockers and lunch with the trip cost calculator, and see every beach and station on the Kamakura map.

Getting to the beaches

The Enoden is the beach train. From Kamakura it is 3 minutes and ¥200 to Yuigahama, 17 minutes and ¥260 to Shichirigahama, 22 minutes and ¥260 to Koshigoe and 24 minutes and ¥260 to Enoshima for the Katase beaches. From Shinjuku, the Odakyu Line to Katase-Enoshima puts you 2 minutes from the sand; see how to get to Kamakura. The beaches have little or no parking of their own, and the city asks drivers to use paid parking or come by train.

Where to sleep near the sea is covered in where to stay in Kamakura and where to stay in Enoshima. Families should also see Kamakura with kids.

Questions people ask

Can you swim at Yuigahama beach?

Yes, during the city's swimming season. In 2026 Yuigahama, Zaimokuza and Koshigoe were open for swimming from July 1 to August 31, from 9:00 to 17:00, with lifeguards and flags. Outside those dates and hours there is no supervision, so swimming is at your own risk.

When is the swimming season in Kamakura?

The City of Kamakura opens its three swimming beaches every summer. The 2026 season ran from Wednesday July 1 to Monday August 31, 9:00 to 17:00. Enoshima's Katase beaches, run by Fujisawa City, stayed open longer in 2026: to September 6 on the east beach and to September 13 on the west beach.

Can you swim at Shichirigahama?

It is not a swimming beach. The Kamakura tourism association describes Shichirigahama as unsuitable for swimming because of the condition of the coast, and the city does not open it as a swimming beach. It is used by windsurfers, yachts and walkers. The nearest supervised beach is Koshigoe, two stops west on the Enoden.

Can you drink alcohol on Kamakura's beaches?

Not on the sand. Kamakura's beach manners ordinance bans drinking on the beach during the season, and Fujisawa's rules for the Katase beaches ban drinking outside beach houses. You can drink inside the beach houses. Both cities also ban barbecues and open fires on the beach.

Which Kamakura beach is best for children?

Zaimokuza. The prefecture describes it as a calm cove where the water stays shallow far out, and like all three Kamakura beaches it has a Kids and Family area in front of the lifeguard station. Yuigahama is the busiest and best served, with a boardwalk and an amphibious wheelchair on weekends. Katase East Beach by Enoshima is also calm and shallow.