Japan is a small country, it’s true. Despite this, the land of the rising sun offers a seemingly unlimited amount of interesting things to capture the attention of visitors. Living so
close to Tokyo, we can always find something to spark our interest and prompt us to explore.
One of the places we had been meaning to get too for a while
was Kamakura. Just south of Tokyo, it
only takes about two hours to get there from west Saitama. It is a popular day trip outside of Tokyo for
visitors to Japan.
The most famous attraction of Kamakura is the enormous Buddha
statue-the Daibutsa (big Buddha). It was built around nearly 800 years ago and has withstood multiple natural and
human made disasters including a tsunami (which swept away it’s original
building enclosure), earth quakes, and a many wars.
The Buddha sits on its reconstructed plinth, raising
it several feet off the ground. The impressive size is emphasized through the solemn meditative expression of the Diabutsu. It is truly a magnificent image to behold.
For a
very small fee, we were able to go up inside the Buddha. This offered a fascinating glimpse into how
it was constructed.
More on Kamakura coming soon!
The Kamakura Da1butsu is one of the iconic sights of Japan for me and like you said, its a great day trip from Tokyo.
ReplyDeleteYes, great site. Good idea to shoot that legend for us to read the details:-)Now, only if you don't mind (otherwise, please remove my post), perhaps you or your blog readers might want to have a look at “Simon and Hiroko,” a dramatic love story located to a large extent in Japan, which has gathered several appreciative reviews and blog interviews.
ReplyDeleteMurakami lovers might like it.
Available at:
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I wish you’d take a stab at it too, as impressions from current residents would be very special for me.
I lived two years in Tokyo and I enjoyed the place very much.
Cheers.
Marius Hancu
Goodreads
Lovely pictures :) I'm pretty sure I've been to that temple and seen that Buddha.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I have my own blog which focuses on Asian culture and entertainment such as video games and I wonder if it is possible for you to view it and tell me what you think please: http://nynyonlinex.wordpress.com