Day 6 - Shrine hopping

It's Tuesday, July 17th, the last day of touring for the class. Today we have a full day in Kamakura.

The ride there is very long. As we get closer to Kamakura, the more scenic the ride becomes. I should have had my camera waiting. I didn't expect to see a Buddha peaking out of the hills. Everything looks so peaceful and serene compared to Tokyo.

After an hour on the train (あっ疲れた! ちょっとはらへった!), we wait for the next train we have to get on. I was relieved there were food stands at the train stop. I planned to eat コロッケ (croquette) when I was in Japan. I was so happy (うれしい!) when I found a place that sold it. 50 yen for one (やすい!). I ended up getting two. とても甘い (very delicious), very hot too. They were just done. I ended up burning my tongue. It was all worth it!

Time to get on the next train. There isn't much time to finish my croquette. There was some time to eat it on the way. Once we get off the train it's completely different from the city. It's very quiet and calm. Maybe it was because of the rain. I think the rain made the area more serene.


There are so many Hawaii-themed shops around Kamakura. It's amazing all the Hawaii named stores. Jayson explains that Kamakura's beach is the closest to Hawaii most Japanese people get to see. What's Japan's fascination of Hawaii? Growing up, many people from the mainland say that I am lucky to be living Hawaii. I always thought that it's alright. Maybe it's because I haven't been outside of Hawaii. Most people say that Hawaii is paradise, but I think Japan is a paradise. It has low crime, advanced technology, very sanitary environment, the list goes on.

~Here is a cafe right outside of the train stop.









Our first stop is at the 大仏 (the Great Buddha). It's so big. It's amazing that it survived that tsunami. You would think that it would wash away because the base is just brick. How long did it take to carve this statue? I wonder how it looked right after it was completed.

The area in the temple is so calm. You can't hear the people talking. For some reason noise doesn't linger around the temple. If it were dry, I would have liked to sit down and just meditate. The expression of the Buddha is so at peace. I wonder how long it takes to reach that type of peace. How did those samurai achieve that peace back then? My life is so busy, I don't have time to sit and just calm down and relax.

Built in the 1200's, it's amazing how emaculate and untouched it looks. The Taiho Code must still be instilled in people. In 702, the Taiho Code was put into effect. It was the foundation of Japan's code of laws. The Taiho Code put worship before legislation. When you go into the temples and shrines in Kamakura, you can see that still being followed. Even the ground is clean. It doesn't seem like Japan has dirt, because every place I have gone, the ground doesn't look dirty. Is it just me?


There is still some time left before we must head toward the next temple. The gift area had so much omiyage. I wanted to buy a lot but Yoko reminded us that we still had more to see. Did we really want to carry all of that the rest of the day? In the end, I put half the things I planned to buy. Of course I had to search for Hello Kitty. And of course, there was Daibutsu Hello Kitty items. I bought just the lanyard key chains. There were Hello Kitty hankos but they didn't have my name. I guess 美智恵 (Michie) isn't a common name in Japan.

After a short break to eat lunch, we head to the Hase-Dera Temple. I never heard of this temple. It's such a large complex. We don't have enough time to view everything. Everything is so green and peaceful. I wish I had the entire day to walk around the area. I got a little homesick because I would have liked to walk around with my boyfriend (ちょっと寂しい).



I didn't understand it until I saw the view. At the top of the stairwell you can see the coastline. I now can see why this is the closest to Hawaii most Japanese can get. It looks like some beaches on Maui. Too bad I didn't have a chance to see the beach up close. I heard that Japanese beaches are different from Hawaii.


~Some pictures around Hase-Dera Temple

Next, we head toward Tsurugaokahachimangu Shrine. It's so spacious. You can see the Zen theme throughout the area. The pathways with rocks and the Zen garden with a tree at one end. It's such a long walk up the stairs toward the main shrine. On the way up, I just take in the scenery. The ginkgo trees are so beautiful and you can hear the birds that are hiding in them. As I look down, I realize how high the shrine is. I finally get to the top and there are miko. Pictures of them are not allowed. I understand. It takes away from the shrine. Plus, some believe (I don't know about miko) that pictures take a part of your soul.

We enter the shrine and there are so many wishes placed around. This is something I heard about in Japanese dramas. It must be so beautiful during the winter season, especially during New Year's. That's when most Japanese people go to the shrines. Maybe one day I will be able to go during that time. I can only wish. Maybe I should have made a wish. It was only 500 yen.

After about 45 minutes, we head back to the station. It's time to have our last dinner together as a group. Tomorrow is our free day to do whatever we want. I can't believe the trip is almost at an end (まさか!). I wish time could slow down just a bit. I don't want to leave.