Kamakura travelogue

Pigeons flocked around my daughter Journey as dozens of Japanese tourists snapped picture after picture. Her blonde hair  and blue eyed  humor attracted much attention everywhere we went in Japan. She loved the camera and always had a smile and a laugh for anyone.



 The City of Kamakura, perhaps a half hour drive from our home in Hayama or a short train ride from Yokosuka was a frequent destination for Shari, Journey, Aidan and I. perhaps it was the temples that attracted us or the great Buddha, or even the KFC with the fiberglass Colonel Sanders outside. Whatever the attraction we were there often. Here are some reasons.

   

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, a Shinto shrine in Kamakura was the home of thousands of pigeons. next door was a Buddhist Temple.

                                                                                                     Large Torii gate at the entrance to the Hachiman Shrine. The Torii gate marks the transition from the everyday mundane world to the world of spirit. Thus they are common at Shinto shrines and occasionally at Buddhist temples.

During the weekdays thousands of Japanese school children are touring the temples and historical sites. the kids are mostly dressed the same with the color of the uniform identifying the school. Try getting a stroller through that crowd and up the steps to the temples. Quite a challenge.

I met tourist from the Americas,  Europe, and other parts of Asia each time I visited.



Daibutsu at Kamakura 

: Located at Koutokuin 高徳院 in Kamakura, the Kamakura Daibutsu (literally “Kamakura Big Buddha”) is a giant metal statue of the Amida Nyorai. Roughly 50' in height (the face itself nearly 10' long), This statue weighs 93 tons. Upon the head are 656 hair curls, a traditional characteristic of the Amida Buddha. The silver boss on the forehead (from which emanates the light that illuminates the universe) weighs 30 pounds.
Wikipedia- all photos from Wikipedia Commons

Amida Nyorai

Buddha of Infinite Light and Life

Lord of the Beyond and the Afterlife

Lord of Gokuraku, the Land of Ultimate Bliss

Savior of Japan’s Pure Land Sects

Entrance 20 yen.

I  don't know if that sign is still there after all it has been 20 years since my last visit to Kamakura, but on the back of the Daibutsu there was this sign in Kanji and English.

The Daibutsu  was originally inside a temple, but this was washed away by a tsunami in 1498. The temple was destroyed the Buddha has sat alone in meditation for the last 500 years.

Even Gojira has passed by leaving Amida Nyorai in peace.

                                                                                                            A Little History

After Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo's death in 1199, quarrels for supremacy started between the Bakufu of Kamakura and the Imperial court in Kyoto. Those quarrels for supremacy found an end in the Jokyu disturbance in 1221 when Kamakura defeated the Imperial army in Kyoto, and the Hojo regents in Kamakura achieved complete control over Japan. By redistributing the land gained during the Jokyu disturbance, they were able to achieve loyalty among all the powerful people throughout the country. The emperor and the remaining governmental offices in Kyoto lost practically all effective power.

 I remember well the awe I felt standing next to the Buddha and looking out over the ocean a pretty good distance away, realizing a Tsunami had come this far inland and at height to destroy a temple. Godzilla pales in comparison. Kamakura is also a nice little city, population of about 180,000. Many small shops selling artwork, clothing and food, as well as western influences such as the Colonel and Ronald McDonald. Kamakura is still one of my favorite places in the world. I wonder if they still need English teachers?