Kamakura on our own - Hokoku-ji Temple - Hasedera Temple - Great Buddha - Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Jill dropped us off at the train station for our adventure to Kamakura--we did have directions for which trains to take but other than that we were on our own :-).  It was another gorgeous cloudless day!

 Your in Japan -- decorative manhole covers!

No problem getting to Kamakura!  Our first stop was the Hokoku-ji Temple (the Bamboo Temple).  We opened the place up and it was wonderful, very quiet and tranquil.  This Temple was established in 1334 to commemorate Ashikaga letoki the first of the Ashikaga shoguns.

 They had wonderful stone paths...

 nice water features and golden Japanese maples...

 nice statuary that we are not sure of their significance...

 and then we were in the bamboo garden.

They have over 2000 Moso bamboo (the

largest species of bamboo in the world).

The Yagura of Hokokuji accommodates a few 

tombs of the Ashikagas family.

Jean enjoyed some matte tea while pondering

the bamboo forest.

An ancient tree at the edge of the forest.

Goldfish in a pot.

The very tall bamboo.

A small stone garden.

The Main temple buildings.  This is still an active

Zen Temple with classes and services.

We began walking toward another temple, following the signs, but never did find it.  After awhile we hopped on a bus back to the train station and there caught the Enoden Line to Hase Station.  This is an electric train with a smaller gauge than the standard. 

 It operates from overhead lines and runs 10 kilometers from Kamakura Station to Fujisawa.

It runs very close to the buildings along the track.  This station has a siding for two way train traffic.  We arrived at Hase Station and walked to the Hasedera Temple.

The following description is from the brochure of the Temple...."According to legend, in 721 AD the pious monk Tokudo Shonin discovered a large camphor tree in the mountain forests near the village of Hase in the Nara region.  He realized the trunk of the tree was so large that it provided enough material for carving two statues of the eleven-headed Kannon.  The statue he commissioned to be carved from the lower part of the trunk was enshrined in Hasedera Temple near Nara; the statue from the upper half was thrown into the sea near present day Osaka with a prayer that it would reappear to save the people.  Fifteen years later in 736 on the night of June 18, it washed ashore at Nagai Beach on the Miura Peninsular not far from Kamakura, sending out rays of light as it did.  The statue was then brought to Kamakura and a temple was constructed to honor it.

Lovely gardens all through the Temple grounds.

The temple building where the Kannon 

is displayed.  No pictures allowed.

The grounds of the temple are home to hundreds of small Jizō statues, placed by parents mourning offspring lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. These statues remain in place for about a year, before being removed to make way for more statues; it is estimated that some 50,000 Jizō statues have been placed at Hase-dera since WWII.  There were thousands lining most flat surfaces.

The Japanese Maples were stunning!

Loads of photographers!

This building holds the library.  "Inside are rotating bookracks, called rinzo, where the important Buddhist sutras for the temple are kept.  By turning the rinzo, it is said that you can earn the same merit as from reading all the sutras.  On the 18th of every month and during the New Years holidays you can turn the rinzo."

The Yuigahama Beach from the overlook at the Temple.

Shoro Belfry.  The thatched roof was constructed in 1955 and the current bell cast in 1984.  "Following Buddhist tradition, the bell is rung 108 times beginning around midnight on December 31 each year to dispel the 108 sufferings of humanity.  This ritual is called joya no kane."

The Conference Center Garden was stunning.  The mosses were particularly outstanding.  The gardener happened to be there when we visited.

This Temple is one of the most outstanding ones we 

have visited, particularly the gardens.  Well

worth a quiet sit to enjoy and appreciate it.

Then on to the Kamakura Daibutsu - the Great Buddha.

Construction of the Great Buddha began in 1252 and continued for approximately 10 years.  The cost was covered by the local members of the community, apparently persuaded by the priest Joko.

Some details of The Great Buddha:  

Weight: 121 tonnes (270,000 pounds)

Height: 13.35 m (43.8 ft)

Length of Face: 2.35 m (7.7 ft)

Length of Eye: 1.0 m (3.3 ft)

Length of Mouth: 0.82 m (2.7 ft)

Length of Ear: 1.90 m (6.2 ft)

Length from knee to knee: 9.10 m (29.9 ft)

Circumference of thumb: 0.85 m (2.8 ft)

After a goodly time wandering around the Buddha and attempting to get pictures without the many visitors, we headed back to Hase Station and took the train back to Kamakura Station and took a walk up the famous Komachi-dori shopping street.  Many restaurants and nice shops lined both sides of the walking street.  At the end was the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

This is a Shinto Shrine, originally built in 1063.  For hundreds of years it was also a Buddhist Temple. During the Meiji period (1868) they demanded a separation of Shinto and Buddhist religions.  All of the Buddhist buildings and  adornments had to be sold or destroyed.

The Upper Shrine is up 60 steps.  

There is a beautiful view of Kamakura from the top.  

There was construction going on in much of the

Upper Shrine area.

We headed back down the steps and took the path to the right.  It led us across a bridge and then we came upon a pond.

There was a bridge leading to an island with prayer banners flying.

Many ducks in the pond, particularly cinnamon teals...

and dozens of kites.  A tree across the pond seemed to be

their favorite resting spot, but the sun was right behind it

so no pictures.  These guys were way up in the sky!

Time to head back to the train station and make our way back to Atsugi.  The timing was perfect as we walked onto both trains with no waiting.  We got back to Sagami station and the bus was about to leave so an easy trip back to the base and walk to the house.  What a grand day!  Some dinner and fun time with the boys before heading to bed.