From Kita-Kamakura to Kamakura. The temple tour.

Today May 18^th Sunday we took the Rapid Train to Kita-Kamakura and visited five temples that lead us all the way to Kamakura. We walked and walked and walked and then climbed stairs through some of the lushest and green area of Japan. Between Kita-Kamakura and Kamakura there are 30 temples or shrines. Each had beautiful grounds and amazing artwork. Some are very small and others have 10 to 12 buildings on the grounds.

 

We took the train early in the morning and arrived at Kita-Kamakura to take what the map calls The Well-Known Truck. We figured that meant the most popular route. There was a great deal of people visiting too. There was the very young and the very old! We meet people from Canada, U.S.A. and heard at least 12 other different languages from French, German, Swedish, and Spanish. One of the men we brought souvenirs from told us in his limited English and our limited Japanese that his son was studying at Michigan State University and will stay until he is 25years old then come home to Japan. He thought it was interesting that we had two boys who graduated from MSU too. In the common language of parents we each commiserated about how much a college education costs.

 

We meet a Japanese man at the top of the Kenchoji-Temple 478 steps straight up who was happy to tell us that he was 78 years old and could still climb up the stairs.

 

We then walked back to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu-Shrine were we saw one wedding in progress and three other brides walking into the temple area in full dress. We took so many pictures that the fully charged batteries went dead by the last temple, so the brides are only in our memories.

 

At Ennoji-Tmeple we saw Juniper trees that were started from seeds and are now 700 years old.

    

 

We saw some of the scariest looking statutes and some of the most beautiful views and trees I have ever seen. Everyone was so very nice to us and many tried very hard to have conversations about the beauty all around us.

 

We went to a little restaurant on the walk to Tsrugaoka Hachimangu-Shrine and were we were helped by a very nice woman with perfect English, order and get something to drink for me. We have how to order beer or beeu down pat it is water we had a problem with.   All in all we had a full day and enjoyed ourselves very much.

 

  

Engakuji-Temple

 

          the side says we were at a National Treeure! Paul and I agree the tree were so beautiful they were a National Treeure.

       

We then went to Tokeji-Temple also called the divorce temple. in 1285 women were not allowed to leave thier husbands but they could be come a nun at this temple and if she stayed for three calendar years she could obtain a divorce. It was stated in the information given to us that the local people were ready to help women seeking refuge at Tokeiji that they might say where the temple was to any woman running in the neighborhood since they thought she was being chased by her husband.

 

           

Jochi-Ji temple

    

 

We then went to Kenchoji-Temple where we walked up the stairs…..

 

and up>>>>and up..>>>>> add up>>>> and up>>>> and just when I thought I was at the top>>>> there was more>>>>>> and more>>>> and 487 steps later we saw one of the most expansive view what a site!

          and then we went down! But it was much easier than up!

 

Then we walked to Ennoji-Temple

  

 

and on to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu-Shrine which was right in the town of Kamakura and much more crowded and full of tourists. We decided that it must be the Las Vegas of Japan. We saw three weddings in very traditional dress.

We than took the train back to Yokohama and change to a train to Shin-Yokohama. The trains were packed jammed with people. All out for a Sunday weekend. We took about 200 pictures so enjoy!

this is a vedio of the monks at prayer at the Engakuji-Temple:

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