At the end of the Daibutsu-Kuzuharaoka hiking trail, in Kita-Kamakura, sits Jochi-ji, temple number 31 of the Kamakura Thirty-Three Kannon Pilgrimage. Not far down the road is Tokei-ji, temple number 32. In Japan, Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimages are fairly common. According to Kamakura City's webpage on its Kannon-sama pilgrimage, the first Thirty-Three Kannon pilgrimage — the … Continue reading Kannon-sama Pilgrimage: Jochi-ji and Tokei-ji
Dating to 734 CE, Sugimoto Dera is considered Kamakura's oldest temple — and it looks the part. The stairway going from the niomon to the hondo is uneven and moss-covered, and the grounds have an earthy, ancient feel to them. The primary object of worship at Sugimoto Dera is Kannon-sama. The temple is home to … Continue reading す is for Sugimoto Dera
The biggest temple in Kamakura
We're finally leaving え, though I'm guessing we'll be back again eventually. So many え... But onto お we go. Ofuna is a funny city, half of it being in Yokohama-shi and half being in Kamakura-shi. Luckily for us and our kana series, the Ofuna Kannon is on the Kamakura side. Kannon-sama is the goddess … Continue reading お is for Ofuna Kannon
A few weeks ago, some pretty major news dropped: the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (they make maps) proposed a set of changes to its tourist maps. The goal is clarity–some of the current symbols are a bit confusing for those who have just arrived. For example, "H" stands for "hotel"–not "hospital" or "helipad", while an … Continue reading When Discomfort Threatens to Overpower Culture
鎌倉ペンション・Inn By The Sea Kamakura 