City of Kanagawa prefecture, Honshu island, Japan, 15 km/9 mi southwest of Yokohama, on Sagami Bay; population (1993 est) 174,300. It is an exclusive commuter area for Tokyo. The mild climate and historic buildings, especially the Buddhist temples, attract tourists. Lacquerware has been an important craft since the 13th century. Kamakura was the seat of the first shogunate (11921333), which established the rule of the samurai class.
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