Day 4

(Finally, I’ve had the time to sit down and write this. For logic’s sake, these entries will be moved in a week’s time so that they lie next to the rest of the trip.)

The next day, we headed South of Tokyo and Yokohama to the crowd-pleasing Kamakura region. With a lot to see and do, it was another early start, but one of those places where even if you can’t see everything (there being over 200 temples), it’s a shame to miss part of the main sights due to timing problems.



This Buddha statue carved into wood was reminiscent of the tree that had grown around the figure that I saw in Thailand.

The weather again was kind to us, and it made walking between the temples comfortable.

One of the best memories of the trip was that we went in the middle of 七五三 (shichi-go-san or 7-5-3) a coming-of –age celebration when boys of 3 and 5 and girls of 3 and 7 visit shrines with their families. Originating in the Heian Period, this was the time when boys, in the samurai class, were allowed to grow out their hair, and girls could begin to wear more complicated kimono. One of the biggest traditions is to eat 千歳飴 (chitoseame – which literally translates as thousand year candy) to ensure a long life. And, as Wikipedia usefully explains, the biggest difference between the samurai times and today’s celebrations, is that a “more modern practice is photography”.

As bustling as it was due to the festival, it seems quite serene in this photo:

But if you look a little higher over the bridge:

Next on the Enoden Line (electric railway) to Hase-dera. This temple is located on a hillside, and houses the rotating bookcase that I already have a vlog of.

The last picture is the shrine to unborn children that die during pregnancy. The statues go on and on. A nice touch on the money and flowers usually brought to shrines, this one is full of chocolate and sweets.

Of course, being a few minutes away, we couldn’t not take a peek at the Daibutsu:

I’ve been five times now, and each time the sky has been different. Towards the end of my stay in Japan, please remind me to put a picture of each visit together in one blog entry. It really does change the whole look and feel of the place.

The final stop was further along the railway to Enoshima Island. This was a rather fantastic journey as you are travelling along the coast, so at times all you can see is sea. There were a few schools that we passed on the way, and brilliantly timed with the school rush-hour, it was a bit of a squeeze. Still, nothing like authentic Japanese culture.

We arrived as the sun was setting, which meant for many photo opportunities:



To be perfectly honest, writing this up three months later meant that the sequence of events didn't flow perfectly in my mind. Still, I'm pretty sure I got everything down that I wanted to. Further reason for me to be so thankful that I kept this blog running. It's going to be a shame, when my time in Japan will be over, and I'll have little to write about.