Kamakura is more than just history.
う is for Windsurfing (trust me)
Bon Odori Summer Festivals
Japanese summers are pretty spectacular. They buzz (cicadas) and DON DON DON (taiko drums). They whistle and gong and chant (festivals). They're burning hot and impossibly humid. But if you let the music drifting from the festival grounds carry you along, not only will you make it to fall without melting into a puddle … Continue reading Bon Odori Summer Festivals
Daibutsu in Chalk
At this spring's Hase Ichi (Hase Market), there was a big blackboard for kids to colour all over while their parents browsed booths selling knickknacks, art, and food. I've been struggling to draw the Daibutsu, but after seeing these two chalk drawings, I think I can do it.
End-of-season Wakame
I mentioned in a previous post that this year's wakame harvest has been poor. The ryōshi (fisher people) along our beach have managed to bring in a few days' worth of it, though. In this photo, you can see the wakame hanging from laundry clips to dry.
He Works Hard for his Money
It isn't easy being a rickshaw driver. Can you imagine trying to run a cart all over town with city buses blowing past you? I am amazed by these guys (and gals! Saw a female rickshaw driver just the other day).
Paddling in the New Year
Chilly temperatures don't keep everyone out of the ocean in winter. A strong wind was just starting to blow when I took this picture, but a few people were still braving the cold.
Surprising Kamakura
Kamakura can be a bit like a box of chocolates—you never know what you're going to get. Sometimes you come across the most authentically Santa-Claus-y Japanese Santa Claus imaginable (real impeccably trimmed, big beard and all!). Other days, you turn the corner and come across a tour guide group and tourists dressed as samurai and … Continue reading Surprising Kamakura
A Fine Fall Day
The first winds of winter may have started blowing this week, but the afternoons are still gloriously warm. Hisashi bought a small boat the other day, fulfilling a year-long dream, and took Kaede out for a little row. By the time I joined them on the beach, they were back to shore, and Kaede was … Continue reading A Fine Fall Day
Photo of the Day: Gone Fishing
A beautiful blue-sky day for fishing. Getting the boat in and out is no easy feat! It helps when the sea is flat as a pancake.
Photo a Day: Sports Day
The second Monday in October is Sports Day in Japan. It's a national holiday, and boy, were people out doing lots of sports in Kamakura. The weather was perfect!
鎌倉ペンション・Inn By The Sea Kamakura 