Exploring Kamakura, the Kyoto of Eastern Japan

I just want to share what I got from my previous journey to Japan. So I just landed in Haneda in the morning, and then drop my baggage in Richmond Hotel at Musashi Kosugi. I take a rest for a while at hotel lobby then search the tourism spot nearby. The hotel receptionist suggests me to go to Kamakura.

I do some searching on internet about this area, and made me excited to go there. Kamakura is an ancient city that has produced its own, original culture. In addition this place is not so far away from Musashi Kosugi station. So from the station, I took Yokosuka Line heading to Yokosuka.

Reaching the Kamakura station impress me this little town provide many temple spots. In Kamakura station you can find the map to get around, what you can see, and the estimation time that you need.

Kamakura has a lot of sightseeing spots from historical attractions, stunning heritages, beaches and so on. Here are several things that you can enjoy while you are in Kamakura.

I was actually trying to find the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine when arriving in Kamakura station. Accidentally when I leaving the station, I stare at one spot, which is Komachi-dori street.

Komachidori is just behind the main street, Wakamiya-oji, leading up to Hachimangu shrine. It's full of little shops selling local wares and delicacies. Many of them specialise in just one type of product, e.g. chopsticks, incense, rice crackers, savoury snacks, bags, ceramics, etc. It's a fabulous place to browse through, and to find a special gift or souvenir.

"Komachi Dori" means "Small Town Street" and this is Kamakura's cramped albeit quaint main shopping street. This is a great place for street photography but you might get some stares. Take your time to explore the different novelty shops both to your right and to your left. The shops selling Japan's traditional washi (rice paper) would make great souvenirs along with various other artisan's carvings and craft. There is also a lovely shop called Waraku that sells just chopsticks which you can then request for your name to be carved in Japanese Katagana or Hiragana. And don't miss out on the Japanese sweet shops along the way.

After getting tired of exploring the Komachi-dori street, then you may find new tourism spot which is Tsurugaoka Hachimangū shrine. Its entrance is marked by an impressive gateway. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (鶴岡八幡宮, Tsurugaoka Hachimangū) is Kamakura's most important shrine. Here are some pictures of it.

Enough with this shrine, then next stop is the Great Buddha at the Kōtoku-in Temple. This large bronze Buddha (probably) dates back to 1252. The statue used to be housed in a large building but three different buildings were destroyed by storms in 1334, 1369 and finally in the tsunami of 1498. The statue has been outside since 1498. It used to be cover with gold. The statue was featured in the poem “The Buddha at Kamakura” by Rudyard Kipling.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura (鎌倉大仏, Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 13.35 meters, it is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple.

Take a look at the Statue closely, and you will notice several slight horizontal lines appearing on it. This tells that it was a patchwork made with eight pieces of bronze. Even today's technology, however, can not find out precisely how it was cast and built.

And that's all about my trip, my solo trip in Kamakura. Hope I will post another post writing :p