Kamakura

We took the train out to this historic area just about an hour south of Tokyo on the coast. It was the center of a very important era of early government (Shoguns, etc.)

Not much to say other than we walked quite a bit as always. It was hot as always. But there was a beach. Not the nicest beach area I’ve ever seen. It looked as though it’s either seen past glories or perhaps there are great days still to come. I’m not convinced of either. Down at heel is the only thing that comes to mind.

Regardless, the architecture in the rest of the town was amazing. Having visited a Buddhist temple and a Shinto shrine back-to-back, we got a good sense of the differences between the two. Think of a blue-blood, WASPy New England country club. Old money. Staid and stodgy. Those are the Buddhists. Nice guys I’m sure. Now think about an Irish wake at a pub where the taps are open and the band is in rare form. Those are the Shintos. Not that they’re a bunch of hooligans, mind you, but they’re ‘fun.’

: For some scale, you can see Amy in the doorway. The curved roof looks great but it must have been difficult to build, especially pre- Black & Decker.

: This bell is about ten feet high and weighs thousands of pounds. It’s also 800 years old, give or take. Amazing what was done with metal casting ‘back in the day.’

: My one attempt at ‘artsy.’ Won’t happen again.

: A beautiful gate that seemed to always be closed.

: The dormitory for some of the monks is on the right. This peaceful area is behind the building where they gather for prayer. Reminds me of a short par 3 over water.

: Amy looking peaceful while she contemplates her club selection…wedge or 9-iron?

: Very colorful interior with a beautiful dragon motif ceiling.

: One of the temple buildings had this ‘Starving Buddha.’ Not sure what his purpose is, but he could clearly use a good meal.

: Nice ceiling…great color and intricate carvings. If there were no other tourists around it would feel like an ‘Indiana Jones’ set.

: A Kencho-ji Temple building. This vast Buddhist complex dates back to 1253.

: More intricate wood details. No routers, no electricity. I have no idea how this was done by hand.

: There must be nails here but I didn’t see any. It looks like a gigantic version of one of those wooden puzzles sold in Chinatown. All the pieces of wood fit together perfectly to form a shape. Maybe it was the inspiration for the game Jenga.

: Old Buddhist monks don’t die, they just fade away. Wait, they do die, and this is where they go.

: The water was warm.

: The beach was a bit grimy.

: The main shrine building on the top of the hill.

: There was a Shinto wedding going on in there. The band is just outside the building to the left. People were just walking by and peeking inside.