The first of August. I cannot believe that I've been here for nearly two months. After waiting for my bags for a good long while, Mina and I decide to spend the day around Kamakura, touring the city. First stop is a Meiji Era Shinto shrine on the way to the Daibutsu. This is an ancient shrine from before the war - small and yet very secluded in a stand of bamboo trees, right near the ocean.
After the shrine, we walk through various shops before stopping at a temple to Nichiren Buddhism, a very militant sect of Buddhism. The founder of this temple killed himself upon the news of Nichiren's death, sanctifying the place as an extremely important temple.
There was a very American-style tourist trap near to the Daibutsu, where they sell medieval era weaponry, as well as Japanese equipment. They are also a weapons and uniform supplier for both sides of the eternal war between ninjas and pirates, a move sure to make both sides very angry.
We finally reached the Daibutsu, the largest Buddah statue in Japan. There we met many Boy Scouts from both Japan and other countries. They were all there as part of a kind of leadership/Camporee exchange. I had a good time chatting with them about the differences between Scouting in America and in Asia.
After snapping many pictures of the Daibutsu (and his waraji sandals!), we headed inside the Daibutsu through the side door and had a look around. Behind the Daibutsu are sutras written on giant lotus petals. Although I cannot read the kanji, I can only guess that it is the Lotus Sutra, cut in bronze.
After the Daibutsu, we headed to Kannon Temple, dedicated to Kannon, a bodhivista (sp!). The temple was amazing, with great surroundings, the largest wooden sculpture in Japan, and many Buddhist artifacts in the treasure area. The view was also amazing, looking out over the Pacific Ocean.
On the way back to Mina's, we stopped at several shops, including a very traditional antique shop. There I found an incredible variety of handpainted original scrolls at amazing prices. I recommend Kamakura for anyone searching for unique art to bring back home, as well as for anyone looking for a huge variety of temples, shrines and a beautiful beach.
We went back to Mina's house and dropped off our bags before heading out again with Mina's mom, Sumie. We walked to various stores, again doing some shopping. If you think that prices aren't high in Japan, just check out the price of root beer and ginger ale. That's PER CAN. After shopping for groceries, we stopped at the largest Shinto shrine I have ever seen. It had an amazing number of lotus ponds, as well as squirrels.
On the way back to their house through Kamakura, we took in the local lantern festival. We then ate a late dinner, did some Shodo, and headed to bed.
