Zen confusion continues.....

Kamakura

This weekend was a hoilday here in Japan, so I headed outside the city once again. This time Oliver and I took a train for an hour and a half to the small surf town of Kamakura, famous for it's 65 temples and shrines! We stopped just outside the town centre to check out some Zen temples, that were said to be the most beautiful. The first one we visited, Engaku-ji, was surrounded by beautiful cedar forests, tranquil ponds and gardens, and some lush bamboo (as you can see!). It was absoultely stunning. There was also a shrine called Shari-den which is said to house one of Buddha's actual teeth. It is closed to the public, so you can only peer curiously past a gate toward the building.

Our next stop was Tokei-ji, better known as "Divorce Temple". It became a refuge for women of abusive and disgruntled marriages. They had to stay at the temple for three years to receive an automatic divorce. The temple grounds were surrounded by blankets of moss and dark forest, and in the back area, lay a peaceful nun's cemetary.

We headed along the road, poking around another temple's grounds, until we were finally able to find the the "Daibutsu Hiking Course". For a tourist town, you'd be surprised at how poorly things are marked!!!By sheer luck we were able to find our way a long a hiking trial of sorts ( it seems that in Japan, "hiking" means walking along a paved road that happens to be in the woods, lined with drink machines and convenience stores....) and we made our confused way to the "money washing shrine" Zeniarai-Benten. By entering through a cave, which comes out into a little grotto, you can test your luck ( and virtue I suppose) by washing your money in this sacred water. It is said to double your, probably small, fortune. I am still waiting for my 1000 yen to grow to 2000....

We next stumbled aimlessly back along the "hiking trail", which now was begining to resemble the good old Baden Powell, and wound our way towards the greatest attraction of Kamakura.....the Daibutsu!!!!!!! ( the great Buddha). This amazing staue looms at a height of 13.25 meters, and wieghs an enormous 121 tons. Its substantial size was probably the only reason that it wasn't swept away in the great tsunami wave in 1498 that washed away the temple then housing the statue. The Buddha itself was cast in 1252. The breathtaking scenery and emormity of the statue made for a very sublime experience!

We then meandered towrds the beach of Kamakura, and walked along the sand, watching the surfers playing in the waves, and Japanese ladies stumbling down the beach in high heels. After another bout of confusion and lost wandering, we came across a magnificant graveyard, along the top if a hill we hadn't meant to climb. From there we walked back to the station to eventually collapse at an okonomiyaki restaraunt. Full day!!! Kamakura, excellent!

the neighbourhood...

My new hood.....

Realizing it has been a long time since I moved into my new "Japanese Mansion", I thought I might share the view. Voila! My new hood! These photos are of Oliver and I's room, our kitchen, backyard complete with glass shard safety fence(?) and my pretend kitty cat, probably a stray living under the house next door.
The other photos are of the house from the street, and a shopping area within walking distance called Shimokitazawa. Shimo has excellent grocery stores, cafes, clothing shops and pachinko parlours, a must at even the smallest of train stations!

and more....

more Nikko....

Nikko!

With all the pavement padding I have been doing here in the land of the salaryman, it was time to get out of the city for a little ancient Japanese adventuring! On Canada Day, myself, Oliver and our friends Nigel and Stacey (other fellow Canadians) set off towards Nikko, a World Heritage Site two hours from the bustle of Tokyo.
The town of Nikko , a popular tourist destination, offers a glimpse into the traditional lifestyle of the Japanese. The whole place had a very samarai feel about it, complete with wild monkeys, ancient legends, and temples galore! The town was founded by the Buddhist priest Shodo in the middle of the 8th century. It was known for a time as a training centre for monks, and a sacred site to visit. There are both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines at the hermitage. We visited two temples and the famous Tosho-gu shrine. At the entrance gate to the shrine there are the ever-popular "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" monkies. Surprised by their size, this carving is actually just a panel in a series of images depicting the lifecycle of the monkey. The shrine itself was an ornate display of intricate gold carvings and beautiful lacquered details.
The atmosphere was perfect for our explorations, the day was misty and moist. The lush forest surrounding the sacred site made the day magical and peaceful. We hiked along a river called the Guan Man Fuchi Abyss, lined by many mysterious Buddha statues, the legend being that the total count will always be different, from one end to the other. Of course, we didn't find that out until we were leaving.....it remains to be seen!
We stayed in a bizarre and lovely little inn, run by a couple of Japanese men, one a Buddhist monk who taught free yoga classes in the morning....early. Seeing as we had been up until 3am the night before, relaxing at an onsen, quite a dark and trecherous hike from the inn, Stacey and I were less than genki about the 7am start! We had breakfast at the inn and then the owner kindly drove us into town to explore the sites I just mentioned. Nikko requires a lot of walking, so we were grateful for his generosity, even though we turned down his 4,000 yen/person offer of a guided tour. We seemed to get some of it for free!
It was fantastic and refreshing to smell clean air, see the colour green and get the hell out of Tokyo for the weekend! Nikko was a facinating slice of Japanese history. I hope to return in the fall, and spend some more quality in the onsen.......mmmmmm.