Kamakura

Little trip to Kamakura, south west of Tokyo, two hours from home.

Kamakura had the status of political center (some might say capital) of Japan in the 13th century. This means that, as you probably guessed it by now, it has numerous temples and shrines.
Our first steps led us to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, the largest Shinto shrine in an otherwise largely Buddhist Kamakura, where we were lucky enough to witness a traditional wedding ceremony.

During its diplomatic height Kamakura eagerly took in Chinese culture, especially Zen Buddhist religion, architecture and sculpture. A characteristic of Zen temples is the linear arrangement of their buildings, joined by long stone paths and stairways.



The most popular attraction of Kamakura is probably Kotokuin, home of the Great bronze Buddha statue, second largest in Japan with 13.5 meters.
Cast in the 13th century, the statue was originally housed in a giant temple hall that was washed away by a tsunami.
We were allowed to step inside the statue and to touch the nearly burning walls that have accumulated the heat of a whole summer.


We walked a lot that day, and our final destination was Hasedera. There are several "attractions" in Hasedera, including Japan's largest wooden statue of Kannon, or, more impressive to me, Sentai Jizo (the thousand Jizo). Along the step leading to the main hall there are countless statuettes of Jizo, the guardian deity of children. It is therefore a place dedicated to "lost children", or stillborn babies and aborted fetuses.

from Hasedera you can also enjoy a view on Kamakura city and bay, a somewhat standard Japanese panorama, if I may say.

There are many more photos of Kamakura in my "pictures" link, check it out!