The day I visited Engaku-ji, there was–not surprisingly–a huge group of school children. They were spread over the entire temple grounds having lunch, running around, and being scolded for various offenses.
Night Quince
Growing up in a colder climate, the only fruit trees I came across with any regularity were apple, and to a lesser extent, pear; and even less frequently, cherry, peach and plum. Here in Tokyo/Kanagawa, I've lost the apple and pear, but gained persimmon and quince. I didn't know either fruit by sight (or even … Continue reading Night Quince
Mercy Tucked Away
Temples and shrines are full of little nooks and crannies housing statues large and small. This one, at Jochi-ji, is home to a small statue of Kannon, the goddess of compassion and mercy.
Temple Garden
Engaku-ji starts where Kita-Kamakura Station ends. In fact, it used to own the land upon which the station sits, but had to sell it when the railroad went through. The pond beside the station—cut off from the temple grounds by a narrow road—is still part of Engaku-ji, though. This raked-pebble garden is lovely to look … Continue reading Temple Garden
Serenity in a Bamboo Grove
Tokei-ji again, with another of its myriad sculptures. The green was getting to be too much, so I went with sepia tones. ...But of course that's not true–the sepia is being used to hide poor lighting, as alas, I am an amateur.
Bridge Over Zen Water
The entrance to Jochi-ji is enchanting. Towering trees, stone steps, and this little bridge. In fact, I think the entrance is my favourite thing about Jochi Temple.
Mother and Child?
Okay, so I'm not sure if this is a mother and child, but it sure looks like it. I love finding images and sculptures like this. It just seems so right (though some father and child sculptures would be nice to see, too!).
Emerald Temple
Tokei-ji, the divorce temple, is green. Like, really, really green.
Tanuki of Nightmares
Tanuki statues are usually fairly cute, but this one is the thing of nightmares. A wild animal native to Japan, tanuki are called raccoon dogs in English, (though they're not related to raccoons). In Japanese folklore, they're mischevious shape-shifters. Statues of them are all over the place, but the ones in this post are from … Continue reading Tanuki of Nightmares
Big Bell
This impressive bell was made in 1301, and sits on a hill at the top of a rather long set of stone steps at Engaku-ji. Engaku-ji is the second of the five great Zen temples in Kamakura. Its entrance is right at Kita-Kamakura Station (apparently, it lost some of its land in order for the … Continue reading Big Bell
女性専用 - Inn By The Sea Kamakura - Women's Guesthouse 