Ugafuku Shrine ( Goddess of Money Washing)
Ugafuku Shrine ( Goddess of Money Washing)
Ugafuku Shrine ( Goddess of Money Washing)
4
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Legend has it that washing your money in the spring at this shrine will make it double.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
440 reviews
Excellent
148
Very good
216
Average
69
Poor
3
Terrible
4
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齋藤 健一
Yokohama, Japan3,873 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Ugafuku Shrine is famous for Zeniarai Benten. Many people had come, including students on a school trip.
An old man appeared in a dream of Minamoto no Yoritomo, who told him that to the northwest there was a valley with a beautiful spring gushing out from between the rocks.
He said that from now on you should draw this water and use it constantly to offer it to the gods and Buddha.
He said that he was Ugafukujin, the lord of this hidden village.
So he built a shrine on this land and enshrined Ugafukujin, and brought water and offered it to him every day. As a result, the country became peaceful and the people began to live easy lives.
An old man appeared in a dream of Minamoto no Yoritomo, who told him that to the northwest there was a valley with a beautiful spring gushing out from between the rocks.
He said that from now on you should draw this water and use it constantly to offer it to the gods and Buddha.
He said that he was Ugafukujin, the lord of this hidden village.
So he built a shrine on this land and enshrined Ugafukujin, and brought water and offered it to him every day. As a result, the country became peaceful and the people began to live easy lives.
Written 26 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peewee L
199 contributions
Jun 2016 • Friends
It's not your typical polished attraction but its "rawness" adds to the interest. First, it's a cave! I liked the way the candles lit the whole place; it gave an atmosphere of calm. The numerous statues of Buddha in certain chambers, gave it true sense of a place of worship.
Written 30 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gemini6_tadvisor
Lyon, France407 contributions
Dec 2015 • Couples
We have been to this shrine 3 or 4 times since several years. The last time was December 2015. The shrine is at least about 20 minutes' walk from JR Kamakura station, and the way from the station to the shrine goes higher and higher, and after a tunnel, the last slope is rather steep. Then, you see the entry of the passage through the cave leading to the shrine. When you go out into the shrine, on the left there are 2 or 3 souvenir shops selling also drinks and snacks, and on the right side is the shrine and the entry to the cave where you can wash your coins. (Some wash even notes!!) They say if you wash money, it will multiply. Personally my money did not multiply, but I like going there and wash my coins. On the right side there is a shop of the shrine, where they sell amulets and other stuff. I bought small cloth pouches with the name of the shrine to keep my coins, hoping the coins will multiply one day. To wash money in the cave, it costs 100 yen for incense sticks and a small bamboo basket (you have to return after usage) to wash money in. As a whole, it is a nice small shrine worth a visit.
For those who don't want to walk to go there, it is possible to take a taxi from the station (around 1000 yen), but there are not many taxis. So, you may have to wait or make a queue.
For those who don't want to walk to go there, it is possible to take a taxi from the station (around 1000 yen), but there are not many taxis. So, you may have to wait or make a queue.
Written 11 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad B
Winnipeg77 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
At the end of the hike we came upon this wonderful shrine in a cave. The grounds were so peaceful , quiet and serene. There were few other people there at the time of our visit which made this shrine so special.. The shrine in the cave is cool and dark, there you can partake in the money washing tradition to make your obey prosper. We loved the beautiful colours of the cranes hanging in the cave. A must see in Kamakura.
Written 20 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hoosier_Packer
Chandler, AZ147 contributions
Feb 2013 • Solo
It's quite a long walk...uphill. Once you arrive, you get the feeling that someone took their old campsite and crammed some fire pits, water fountain, and portable gift shops on the side of the hill to make some money by concocting a story about luck and money washing...
HINT: save you time and money and visit other temples.
HINT: save you time and money and visit other temples.
Written 9 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leonidastra86
Kavala, Greece3,695 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
We actually found the place accidentally on our way back to the Kamakura station.
It is really nice and something special made in a cave and with the water flowing from the stone down.
The nicest place we visited in Kamakura.
It is really nice and something special made in a cave and with the water flowing from the stone down.
The nicest place we visited in Kamakura.
Written 12 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hfot2 🌸🍁🌸
Vermont7,604 contributions
Dec 2018
We spent almost a hour at the money washing temple in our detour from the Daibutsu Hiking Course.
To get here you take a marked turn off the hiking course, if you are coming from the Jochiji Temple direction (I don’t know how it’s marked coming from the other direction. The detour takes you down a very long hill. We worried about having to walk up the hill to resume the hiking course, which we did. Only later did we realize that we should have followed our instincts and continued down and that we would ultimately rejoin the hiking course. You can drive here, but that takes away the mystery of the place.
Zeniarai Benten was a very interesting stopping point.
There are lots of little buildings in the compound to visit as well. And tucked in the corner is a tiny waterfall and a bridge. All very photogenic.
Visitor tips:
Do take care in the cave not to let your camera lens get wet; in addition there is the risk of your camera getting in contact with too much humidity.
Toilets are located near the entrance to the shrine.
To get here you take a marked turn off the hiking course, if you are coming from the Jochiji Temple direction (I don’t know how it’s marked coming from the other direction. The detour takes you down a very long hill. We worried about having to walk up the hill to resume the hiking course, which we did. Only later did we realize that we should have followed our instincts and continued down and that we would ultimately rejoin the hiking course. You can drive here, but that takes away the mystery of the place.
Zeniarai Benten was a very interesting stopping point.
There are lots of little buildings in the compound to visit as well. And tucked in the corner is a tiny waterfall and a bridge. All very photogenic.
Visitor tips:
Do take care in the cave not to let your camera lens get wet; in addition there is the risk of your camera getting in contact with too much humidity.
Toilets are located near the entrance to the shrine.
Written 18 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dana Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA1,198 contributions
Apr 2019
Impressive, historic, inspiring Shrine that visitors love. Unusual and inspiring, recommended if you are visiting the Kamakura area.
Written 10 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Canmaninjapan
Kamakura, Japan943 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
I lived just down the road from Zeni Arai Benten (the name most people use) for over 10 years. Going through the cave to the shrine is always a cool experience. It is like walking into a courtyard at a big apartment, only the building is replaced by cliffs and a waterfall. Then you go into little caves and wash your money. Be sure to use that money as it will then bring you good luck (lottery tickets?). People used to wash their money before they went to the horse races. Anyway, it is cool (temperature) and although it is crowded on weekends, it is worth going to. Enjoy!
Written 2 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KarlaC687
Santa Ana, San Jose, Costa Rica43 contributions
Jan 2019 • Family
If one wants to understand the Japanese culture is it is really necessary to visit the Shrines and Temples. This Shrine is a very interesting experience, money is laundered so it can come back to you, it is something that in the western society is rarely seen.
Written 24 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear All, from Kamakura station walking to Zeniarai shrine, it’s all wide walking road and not those narrow hill roads right?
Written 20 January 2019
たかひろ
Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Not everything. There are narrow roads. It is best to take a bus.
Written 23 December 2019
I am not sure as most people like me walk there. It is in a residential area with narrow streets so it might not be possible to park in the area. There are no car parks neaarby that I know off, but there are in Central Kamakura. They are usually quite crowded and expensive. Best to come to Kamakura on the train and walk everywhere.
Written 18 June 2018
Is there any bus at the Kita-Kamakura station or Kamakura station or near by area to go to Ugafuku Shrine (Zeniarai Benten)?
Written 3 March 2016
I don't think so. I strongly suggest that you visit Jochiji temple, a few minutes walk from Kita Kamakura station. There is a small path at the left side of this temple which leads up all the way to the top of Genjiyama Hill. This is a wonderful walk and it is not so hard. Then gradually walk down to this Zeniarai Benten.
If you have a difficulty walking, you might have to take a taxi from Kamakura station. This should be around 1,200 yen.
Written 14 April 2017
Hi All,
I'm thinking of visiting Kamakura for a day trip from Tokyo when I visit in 9 days (YAY!).
What is the best way to get to the Ugafuku Shrine?
Does anyone have any day recommendations when travelling to Kamakura from Tokyo?
Thanks in advance :)
Written 14 August 2015
I was in Tokyo in October and I took the underground/train from Ebisu station -it was our near station there- and we just change the line to get to Kamakura. it took just 30 minutes. One day in Kamakura is more than enough. We visit all by feet is so simple to get anywhere. The beach is awesome and if you wanna eat some really good burger while watching the sea I suggest to go to Good Mellows, a cool restaurant near by.
I really spent a good day in Kamakura.
Written 4 March 2016
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