The punch perm—a hairstyle popular in days gone by and worn by only the coolest of cats. And the Daibutsu. Okay, his isn't a punch perm, but in the graphic novel series, Saint Young Men, by Hikaru Nakamura—a manga series about young Jesus and young Buddha rooming together in the modern world—his hairstyle is described … Continue reading Photo of the Day: Punch Perm Daibutsu
Photo of the Day: Cave Priest
Kamakura is a pretty spooky place. It's really not surprising, considering the bloodshed that took place in and around the city. Being the capital of a shogunate that had violently wrenched power away from Kyoto—the imperial capital of Japan—and which had enemies near and far, bent on revenge and thirsty for power, well, something was … Continue reading Photo of the Day: Cave Priest
Photo of the Day: Fireworks
Japan loves fireworks. Like, loooves them. Big city, small city—every city with even an ounce of self-respect has a hanabi taikai. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. But not by much. Kamakura—swimming in self-respect as it is–hosts a very popular fireworks show every July. We can see it from our yard, though the view is … Continue reading Photo of the Day: Fireworks
Photo of the Day: Through the Umbrella
The temple grounds were almost empty when I arrived—and right up until the ceremony was about to start. I was confused because not only did I expect more people to come out to the mantoukai (Buddhist lantern ceremony) in remembrance of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, but also because entrance that evening to the … Continue reading Photo of the Day: Through the Umbrella
Photo of the Day: Warm Glow
Daikon (Japanese radishes) on lanterns—is there anything better? Another photo nicked from our Facebook page, it was taken at Hokai-ji last summer. I love the lanterns so much, I had to re-post. Hokai-ji is famous for its bush clover. It wasn't in bloom when we visited, but the vegetation had pretty much taken over one … Continue reading Photo of the Day: Warm Glow
Photo of the Day: Historical Cosplayers
Costumed visitors to Kotoku-in pay their respects at the mantoukai held in remembrance of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. I'm fairly certain this pair is meant to be Yoritomo Minamoto—founder and first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, and his consort, Masako Hojo, whose family took on the role of regents of the shogun (and basically … Continue reading Photo of the Day: Historical Cosplayers
Photo of the Day: Full’a Beans
Two words: free samples. This shop is called Mameya, and while it isn't a Kamakura-only shop—it's a country-wide chain—it's one of our favourites on the road between us and the Daibutsu. I enjoy the colours, Kaede enjoys the flavours, which are quite nice.
Photo of the Day: Prepping Remembrance
Kotoku-in, AKA the Daibutsu, has held a special mantoukai (Buddhist lantern ceremony) for the past few years to pray for those affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and to raise funds. Monks from various Buddhist sects gather at Hasedera and walk ever-so-slowly to Kotoku-in, which is lit up with candles that spectators sponsor. … Continue reading Photo of the Day: Prepping Remembrance
Photo of the Day: Watchman
Terrifying, no? This is Nio-sama. At the entrance to many temples, you'll find Nio-sama in the first gate, one on the right and one on the left. Their job is to guard the temple from evil people and things. This Nio-sama keeps watch at Myohon-ji.
Photo of the Day: Red Tide
Looks more pink than red, but red tide it is. Actually, the proper term is harmful algal blooms (HABs). They make seafood temporarily inedible, and probably aren't so good to play in for humans, either. But, it didn't really stop anyone from splashing around. HABs happen every year, but not too often. They only last … Continue reading Photo of the Day: Red Tide
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