和賀江島 Wakae Island

At the eastern end of Zaimokuza Beach, a large rock surmounted by a black stele, or Sekihi, marks the position of the former port.

During the Kamakura shogunate, Sagami Bay was busy with trading ships, but the shallowness of the bay made the use of barges indispensable. Accidents between ships were common and it was therefore decided to build a port. In its first form, the harbor functioned as both a breakwater and a wharf and was built with large stones laid as a foundation, with smaller stones on top. It was later extended gradually and repaired several times until the end of the Edo period, when it was abandoned.

The historical marker explains the history of the site and its importance:

"Waka" is the former name of today's Zaimokuza. This place used to be a harbor where timber was collected and shipped and, for this reason, the town's name was changed to the present one.

Wakae Island was an embankment built to avoid the destruction by the waves of Waka's harbor. 768 years ago, a priest named Ōamidabutsu (往阿弥陀仏) asked permission for its building and, with the support of Moritsuna, work was started on July 15th and ended on August 9th.

Erected in March 1924 by the Kamakura Seinendan Young Adult Association.