I recently visited a coastal area about 50km south of Tokyo called Kamakura. This small but beautiful town used to be the capital of Japan during the 12th century and is jam packed with temples and shrines. I began the day by visiting Engaku-ji Temple also know as the 'Temple of Spirit' which was built to honour the Zen principles and in memory of Japanese and Mongolian soldiers who died during conflict between the two countries. The temple is actually a collection of shrines including one that houses the tooth of Buddha! I then moved on to the Tokeji Temple which used to be a convent where women could go and after 3 years they would be formally acknowledged as divorced - apparently this was an attractive option in many cases and the Temple had to expand in the 16th century to accomodate more women!
After a short hike through the hills I arrived at Kamakura's most famous attraction a giant bronze Buddha which was cast in 1252. The Buddha used to be housed in a temple but this was swept away by a tsunami in 1498 leaving the 121 ton statue open to the elements. He has had several repairs done over the years and now even has a giant pair of shoes also on display!
I ended the day by visiting the beautiful Hasedera temple which houses a magnificent statue of Hase Kannon the eleven headed Goddess of mercy. Each of the eleven heads has a different expression signifying that the deity listens to the wishes of all types of people.
As the sun was setting over the bay I bid a fond farewell to Kamakura feeling very enlightened and at peace :-)
Kamakura
I recently visited a coastal area about 50km south of Tokyo called Kamakura. This small but beautiful town used to be the capital of Japan during the 12th century and is jam packed with temples and shrines. I began the day by visiting Engaku-ji Temple also know as the 'Temple of Spirit' which was built to honour the Zen principles and in memory of Japanese and Mongolian soldiers who died during conflict between the two countries. The temple is actually a collection of shrines including one that houses the tooth of Buddha! I then moved on to the Tokeji Temple which used to be a convent where women could go and after 3 years they would be formally acknowledged as divorced - apparently this was an attractive option in many cases and the Temple had to expand in the 16th century to accomodate more women!
After a short hike through the hills I arrived at Kamakura's most famous attraction a giant bronze Buddha which was cast in 1252. The Buddha used to be housed in a temple but this was swept away by a tsunami in 1498 leaving the 121 ton statue open to the elements. He has had several repairs done over the years and now even has a giant pair of shoes also on display!
I ended the day by visiting the beautiful Hasedera temple which houses a magnificent statue of Hase Kannon the eleven headed Goddess of mercy. Each of the eleven heads has a different expression signifying that the deity listens to the wishes of all types of people.
As the sun was setting over the bay I bid a fond farewell to Kamakura feeling very enlightened and at peace :-)
P.S. See more photos of my day in the gallery
Posted by anna on February 4, 2008 1:49 AM
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