Kamakura and Kotokuin

Our final trip east brought us via Shinkansen from Hamamatsu to Odawara, from where we travelled on the Tokaido line to the beach town of Kamakura, located about 10 miles south of the heart of Tokyo. During the former ride we passed the slopes of Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, whose snow capped peak was shrouded in clouds, only to be revealed to us at the outset of the latter commute.

After reaching Kamakura station we decided to walk to our Airbnb, stopping first at the temple of Kotokuin which is conveniently located midway between these two points. Kotokuin is home to the famous Daibutsu, or Great Buddha, which is a giant statue of Buddha made from bronze. The statue was constructed from 1252 to about 1262 and weighs about 121 tons. The interior of the statue is hollow and all three of us had the opportunity to enter this cavity, from which the surprisingly modern construction techniques used in this statue can be seen. The cavity is lit naturally from two wire mesh screens in the back of the statue.  

After this visit we proceeded to our Airbnb, which is located in a quiet neighborhood amid the hills to the west of central Kamakura. 

-Theodore

Mt. Fuji viewed from the Shinkansen.

 

As we departed Odawara on the Tokaido line, we glimpsed the snow capped peak of the famous mountain.

 

Maryrose and the author in front of the statue.

 

A watermelon offering to the deity. 

 

The back of the statue, showing the openings that provide illumination to the interior cavity. 

 

The inside of the head of the statue viewed from the interior. 

 

Nathaniel in front of the statue.

 

The Pacific Ocean. The beach here has dark sand and smells like kelp.