Kamakura

Sunday, I finally went to Kamakura. It takes about four hours by regular train. If you can get the right train from Utsunomiya, you can go all the way to Kamakura without changing trains.

I got off the train at Kita-Kamakura (Kita = North), and visited Engakuji. It's a Rinzai Zen temple. Rinzai Zen focuses on sudden enlightenment, using koans. A famous koan is "What is the sound of one hand clapping." The other major Zen school is Soto, which advocates gradual enlightenment.

Here are my pics:




























Then, I went to Kamakura Station, and took the Enoshima Line (a private, line that is not part of Japan Rail.) to Hase. In Japanese, it's Enoshima Densha (Enoshima electric train), so usually called just Enoden.

Here is a Buddhist temple, named Hasedera.






It's cold in Tochigi (0-7C) - but I saw daffodils in Kamakura.






Here is some beautiful woodwork.








From a hill near the temple, you can get a good view of Kamakura.





My new camera and polarizing filter let me get a good shot of goldfish.














There is still some fall color to be seen as well.







There is a Shinto shrine near Hasedera is in a cave!






Finally, I went to see Kamakura's number one tourist draw.
This statue used be in a building, but the building was destroyed by a tsunami.
This statue is 13.35 meters tall. It's not the biggest Buddha statue in Japan. There is a 120 meter tall statue in Ibaraki. The statue in Todaiji in Nara is 14.98 meters.






















































For 20 yen, you can go inside the statue.













Here is the back.
















Here are slippers for the Buddha.














A shop had some kitties; so of course, I had to take pics!























There are a lot more temples to see in Kamakura so I'll try to get back again.

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