22nd March 2023
On this beautiful spring morning, we got a train from Tokyo station to Kamakura Station at 10:00, arriving at around 11am. This trip was covered by our JR Rail Pass.
Kotoku-In & The Great Buddha
Japan, 〒248-0016 Kanagawa, Kamakura, Hase, 3 Chome−1, 大仏前（バス
Entrance Fee: Adults ¥300 / Children ¥150
Inside the Buddha: ¥50
We headed west out of the station and followed Shiyakusho Dori and then after about 15 minutes, signposted left down a very pretty, residential street. After walking for about half an hour we reached Kotoku-In Temple, famous for Kotoku-In, or The Great Buddha statue standing in its grounds. This Buddhist temple predates the Great Buddha, whose original form was wooden and completed in 1243. When this was damaged in 1248, funds were raised for a bronze statue. This culminated in the bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha that stands gloriously tall at 13.4 metres high, it was completed in around 1262 after being worked on for ten years. He sits majestically in the beautiful surroundings of the temple grounds. Amitabha Buddha is dedicated to the liberation of all beings, regardless of age, sex, or status. He sits here serene and serious in a seat of deep meditation, I found it a humbling experience.
We paid the small, extra fee to enter the interior of the Great Buddha. There was an information board inside detailing the method of construction and casting, and that of subsequent repairs and preventative measures against earthquakes too. It was an interesting insight into this unique figure.
The rest of the grounds include commemorative trees, a shop and the Kangetsu-do Hall. It is a beautiful and area with lots of tree and greenery to wander around after beholding the Great Buddha.
Magokoro
2 Chome-8-11 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0016, Japan
Advertised as a Hemp Vegetarian Café, this café had a beautiful view of the beach and sea. The board outside says ‘Vegan’ so we did get the wrong idea and think that everything was vegan and mistakenly ordered some fish. I had a lovely Buddha bowl though. And the atmosphere and little gift shop and staff are great.
Kamakura Yuigahama Beach
After visiting Kotoku-In, we took a stroll to the beach. It was a pristine, sandy beach, with crystal clear water, cool, but refreshing. There were windsurfers in the distance, walkers on the beach and lots of birds. A peaceful and beautiful beach.
Wadazuka Mound
3-4-7 Yuigahama, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0014, Japan
On our way back from the beach to Kamakura station, we came across this little historic site called the ‘Wadazuka Mound’. I was intrigued by the ancient looking statues and newer looking memorial stone. There was an information plaque in Japanese. I found out later that the Wadazuka Mound is a burial mound where it is traditionally thought the members of the Wada family are buried, lived between the 12th – 13th century. Wada Yoshimori (1147 – 1213), was a military commander in the Kamakura shogunate. He and his sons were involved in a power struggle after the death of the first Kamaukura shogun. During the war that followed, Wada Yoshimori and his sons were killed and supposedly buried here in this mound and memorial site.
Following the route from here back to Kamakura Station there are many nice shops and cafés, including vintage and second hand clothes shops, sake shops and many other shops selling beautiful wares.
It was a great day out and easily accessible from Tokyo, Kotoku-in is a must see and there’s plenty of other things to do in the town as well.
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The Greedy Herbivore 