from Tokyo station we took the Yokosuka line
voila Kamakura, neat quiet town not very far from Yokohama.
From the train station we walked about 45 minutes to the famous Kotochoji Temple(the Great Buddha)or one can also buy a pass called " Kamakura Free Kankyo Tegata" which allows you unlimited ride within a defined area on 5 bus and train lines that run through the most famous tourist attractions of Kamakura this way one got to see more of Kamakura. Price is 550 yen. adult and 280yen/ kid. NOTE: tickets are not sold on Jan 1, 2 & 3. Tickets can be purchase @ Kamakura Station
It was our last day in Japan and it was already noon anyway so we decided to take it slow and enjoy the walking route, it was quite pleasant and we got to see more of the town that way but fewer attractions
it's really easy to get around in Kamakura there are sings everywhere, so it's hard to get lost here
Entrance fee to see the Great Buddha is 200yen/adult
the seated Buddha, Amida Nyorai,
i remember seeing something similar in Hong Kong, Lantau Island but it's much bigger compare to this one and also the Buddha has a different hand gesture
one can also visit the interior of the bronze Buddha statue which cost an extra 20yen/pax
history about this bronze Great Buddha
the back of the Buddha statue with 2 windows,
the back part of the temple
it is a rather beautiful place to visit during autumn.
It's not a very big temple hence the 200yen entrance fee,
but a place definitely not to be missed if one is in Kamakura
It is Japan's national treasure !
good to know
Hasedera Temple just 5 minutes walked away from Kotokuin Temple
another nice temple to explore during autumn, with beautiful mixture of Japanese maples in the garden
entrance fee is 300yen/adult
cute little monk statues
bronze bell,
This bell is rung 108 times beginning around midnight Dec 31 each year to dispel the 108 suffering of humanity, It's a Buddhist tradition and this ritual is called joya no kane.
colorful joss sticks for praying
Hasedera temple is a Buddhist temples in Kamakura
legend has it that the origin of the temple was in 721 AD
the building here is the Kannon-do Hall housing a very huge wooden statue of eleven headed Kannon or more known as the Goddess of Mercy... it's really huge and beautifully carved unfortunately no Photo inside the Hall but i'm pretty sure one can find it in Google for sure!
there is also a Kannon Museum adjacent to the Kannon-do Hall but to enter the museum you'll need to pay an additional fee
view of the Yuigahama beach from the viewing area
the waves looks pretty strong here, no wonder they have a tsunami escape route
there is also a walking path up hill
better view of the beach
Mani-Guruma
Rinzo, the Buddhist sutras for the temple are kept
i'm not sure that they call this in Japan but in my Malaysian Chinese culture, it's bathing the baby Buddha ritual usually it's celebrate during Wesak Day in end of April. To bathe the Buddha is to pour scented blessed water over the infant Price statue. However this ritual comes in different forms in different country that practiced in
Daikoku- do Hall, housed an image of Daikokuten or more known as the God of wealth, luck( or more specifically, the harvest), one of the " 7 denties of good fortune" and one can rub on the wooden statue for some good fortune,
However it's a replica of the original one in the museum, which was carved in 1412, making it the oldest image of its type
entrance to Benten-kutsu cave
sculptures of Benten and other minor gods can be found in this cave
arroding to the legend, a monk carved it himseld while in seclusion, inspired by Buddha
as we progress further in the cave there is a narrow path way leading to other smaller rooms in the cave
it's quite interesting, but definitely not for those who is claustrophobic
last few photos of the gorgeous garden before we say sayonara to the place.
As Autumn tend to get dark really early we only had time for 2 temples in Kamakura which we were both really enjoy exploring. It was a relax and interesting day trip to Kamakura from Tokyo. Would definitely recommending Kamakura if one is looking for a day trip to explore towns outside of Tokyo. It's a short and easy journey from Tokyo and we even had a nice dinner in Yokohama before heading back to Tokyo.
headed to Airport early morning, beautiful sunrise view of Odaiba from the Monorail
last minute ramen for breakfast @ Haneda Airport
Here we concluded our 2 weeks holiday in Japan, with heavy heart, full tummy and happy memories!
i love Japan!!!!
~ till next time ~
