Merry Christmas!

Merry Xmas Everybody! My first Christmas in Japan feels very strange. It is very commercialised here ......as Anthony said to me, "you can't manufacture a feeling"..... so while the shops are decked out in Christmas decorations, Japan really lacks the feeling of Christmas spirit. Having said that, it didn't stop us from doing our best Western Christmas imitation! Last night we went to "Midnight Mass" (unusually it was at 9.30pm?) at the Church of the Sacred Heart. It was a very nice service, delivered in English by an American Priest. This morning it was time for Liam to have some fun! I guess he's been a good boy this year as Santa really spoilt him - cars were the flavour of the day and he really likes his shoes from Connie and Graham (Happy 60th Dad!). I'm on Holiday now, so i'll start brushing up on my Japanese. Hope you all have an enjoyable and safe Holiday season!

Kamakura Revisited

Hey everybody! I can't believe it's less than one week until Christmas. It will feel a little weird celebrating Christmas here because it's just a normal day in Japan (luckily it falls on my day off or I would be working!). I am still enjoying my job most of the time and have been fortunate to get some overtime lately while my fellow teachers take breaks in Vietnam, Thailand and the US. The winter weather has settled in properly now, with daytime highs barely reaching 10*C. This means more time inside, so I have spent more time practicing my Japanese which is slowly getting better. Liam has been a great teacher for me.... I hope I can talk to him soon without him correcting me all the time!
As the title of this entry suggests, I made my second visit to Kamakura today. This time round I had an "expert guide", so the mistakes of my first escapade here were not to be repeated! I met Aki at Yokohama Station and we took the 20min train direct to Kamakura (not like the 2 train, no seat, 1 hour journey I had last time!). Upon our arrival we commandeered a couple of awesome bicycles and planned a route.

1st stop was Kamakuragu:

This shrine was constructed in 1869 by Meiji Emperor and dedicated to
Morinaga Shinno (Otonomiya). Behind its main building are the ruins of a jail called Doro, where Morinaga Shinno was imprisoned by Ashikaga Takauji's brother Tadayoshi.

Stop #2 was Hokokuji

This temple was founded in 1334 by Tengan Eko reportedly under the
sponsorship of Ashikaga Ietoki or Uesugi Shigekane. This temple is famous for a beautiful bamboo garden that is laid out behind its main sanctuary.

3rd Destination - Jomyoji

Ranked fifth among Kamakura's famous five temples, it was founded in 1188 by Taiko Gyoyu under the sponsorship of Ashikaga Yoshikane. The massive roof over its main sanctuary creates a dignified atmosphere. This temple belongs to the Kenchoji faction of the Rinzai Buddhist sect. We enjoyed some tea (Japanese style) at the Kisen-an, overlooking a gorgeous rock garden.....it was a very peaceful feeling.

#4 on the list - Zuisenji Temple

This temple was founded in 1327 by Muso Soseki, under the sponsorship of Nikaido Doun. Because Ashikaga Motouji, the first chief officer of Kamakura Gosho, was buried here, this temple received continual governmental support, which made it one of the ten most powerful temples in the Kanto region. It belongs to the Engakuji faction of the Rinzai Buddhist sect.The site of Henkai Ichiran Tei is in the mountains behind Zuisenji. This was a center of the literary arts of Zen monks during the Kamakura era, and it is also known as the place where Shinpen Kamakurashi was compiled by Tokugawa Mitsukuni.

Lunchbreak - Udon...Oishii desu!

Our 5th stop - Sasukeinarijinja Shrine This shrine is reached by climbing the steps, while passing through many Torii gates with red flags. In legend this shrine was built by Minamoto Yoritomo and dedicated to Inari, the harvest god, who advised him in his dreams to raise an army when he was in exile in Izu. I really enjoyed this Shrine, although Aki was a little creeped out by the Torii gates, which reminded her of an old Japanese horror movie! The numerous fox statues looked pretty evil too!

#6 on the Map - Zeniarai Benten Shrine

Legend has it that this shrine was constructed by Minamoto Yoritomo after he received a divine message in his dreams, saying "use the water here to offer prayers to god, and all the world will be at peace." Later Hojo Tokiyori washed money with this water praying for the prosperity of his family. Since then the water has become famous as water for washing money and getting financial success. The water, called Zeniarai-mizu (money-washing water), is one of Kamakura's five famous waters. I washed a 10,000 yen note, so here's hoping the legend's true!

..and finally #7 - Hase Kannon

This temple reportedly existed before the Kamakura period, belonging to the Jodo Buddhist sect. Its principal statue of Buddha with eleven faces is 9.18 meters tall, and is reportedly the largest of Japan's wooden statues. There is an elevated area near the main sanctuary where you can enjoy views of the town of Hase, the sea off Kamakura, and the Miura Peninsula.

So there you have it....a very interesting day filled with thousands of years of history. I earned my own tour guide stripes today, so next time I go to Kamakura, I guess it will be to show someone else around! Note: My camera batteries died at the 5th stop, hence no pics from the last couple of places!