Today I ventured out of Tokyo to visit the traditional sights in Kamakura. From Shinjuku I took the Shonan-Shinjuku train and about 50 minutes later the Kamakura Station came into view. There was a light drizzle in the air, and despite the humidity, the cooler temperatures came as a welcome break from the hot summer days. From the train station I walked down the main street that led to the entrance of the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shinto Shrine. Upon passing through the red Torii gate, there was a wide path the led to the main shrine and many side niches. Taking a side route, I walked upon this scene: someone with a green umbrella sitting and observing the large lily plants in one of the ponds. The rainy atmosphere intensified the colors and I felt like I was stepping into a watercolor painting.
The shrine is an important place in the city of Kamakura. Climbing up the side of a mountain, its red structure shines amongst so much green. The stairs that climb so far up are a beautiful sight and makes one feel so small.
At the top of the climb is the main temple where one can pray to the gods. I stayed here for a while just watching the people climb to the top while holding an umbrella in the cool rain.
Later in the day I went by local bus to visit the famous Daibutsu (Great Buddha) at the Kotoku-in Buddhist Temple. The temple is known for the large bronze statue of the Amida Buddha that is over 13 meters tall. I am told that this is the second largest Buddha in Japan, following one that can be seen in Nara. A plaque on one of the walls of the outer temple explained about the statue’s history: the Kotoku-in Buddha was cast in 1252 and originally an inner temple was built to cover it. In 1498, a tidal wave swept the temple away but left the body of the Buddha without any injury. In 1923 there was a big earthquake that destroyed the Buddha’s base, and repairs were made until 1961.
An interesting thing about this Buddha is that visitors can walk inside the bronze structure for just 20 yen! Inside people can look at how the structure was joined together. Because the statue is so large, it was cast in 30 stages. Many molds were joined together in layers. In order to securely attach the various pieces, a method known as Ikarakuri (a type of lattice joinery) was used to build the statue from the base up. It’s amazing to think that this Buddha has been sitting here so long. I wonder what the statue has seen over so many years, and what it thinks about the current world?
