WOW! That was a whole month ago. It is March 29th today, and I am trying to squeeze in some writing between my 6 am masters swim and my upcoming bike/yoga “challenge” later this morning.
I read a GREAT (but very long, you can listen to it if you prefer) article yesterday. It was so long that I wonder if it will be in the Sunday NY Times magazine section. It is by David Brooks and touched a lot of personal points for me. He discusses Haruki Murakami’s writing and running as examples of discipline. I am now reading Murakami’s ” The City and Its Uncertain Walls” and I read “Kafka on the Shore” while I was in Japan. I loved his classic bestsellers from the 1980s; “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” and “Norwegian Wood.” I also enjoyed his non-fiction book about running.
The article reminded me that I love writing, but it is time-consuming and requires discipline to keep up with.
Here is a link to the article. (but for later, after you read my writing first). If you can’t access it I can share a gift link to you directly on request.
David Brooks, Opinion | How to Have a Passionate Life – The New York Times
Before visiting Japan, I asked my Japanese swimming friend, Kyoko, about a nice beach area near Tokyo. She suggested Kamakura, and my guidebook said it was the best place to take a day trip from Tokyo if you only had time to visit one place. Even if it wasn’t beach season, I wanted to see the Pacific Ocean from Japan.
Friday was two days before the marathon, so I needed a short run. After our busy day, I slept late and woke to a gorgeous view.
I headed a few blocks north from my hotel to the moat around the Imperial Palace grounds.
I loved these gorgeous bonsai pines, centuries old, in front of the modern buildings.
These cute old restaurants were tucked under a highway.
At 8:30 am the train station was insanely busy. I had to ask at an information booth how to reach the commuter line to Kamakura. There was a helpful label in the elevator!
The train was very crowded for the first few stops, but soon, all the commuters coming from the northern suburbs got off, and we sat for a one-hour ride south.
The train TV had weather, news, entertainment, and even English language lessons for kids.
I had to wear my marathon tag (put on me at the expo) to get into the race. I planned to wear it until the Buffalo Marathon in May but it fell off during the race. The fish and turtle bracelet Alex made for me (and re-made twice after one broke in Lake Placid and one got pulled off by seaweed at Jones Beach), the manatee one was a gift from them and it came with an app that lets me track a manatee who was rescued and released.
ODare was near Ft. Lauderdale for January and February, but he is moving north with the warmer spring weather. You can donate and track your own animal with the “Fahlo” app.
Kamakura had a cute outdoor train platform and a small, old-fashioned station. There was a visitor information office, and a helpful woman gave me a map of the area and showed us how to get to the shrines and temples I wanted to see. There was also a public bus system we could have used or tour buses, but we just walked everywhere with Alex navigating.
Here is a description of the city from a website:
Often referred to as “the Kyoto of the east,” Kamakura is a seaside city about a one-hour train ride from Tokyo. Its history dates back to the late 12th century when Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147 – 1199) founded the Kamakura shogunate (1185 – 1333), Japan’s first military government, which ruled much of the country. The mountains and sea that surround the city served as a natural fortress for fending off enemy attacks, and the Kamakura shogunate thrived for nearly 150 years, partly because of this strategic location. Many shrines and Zen temples dedicated to the guardian deities of the samurai were built in Kamakura. During the Edo period (1603 – 1867), Kamakura became a popular destination for the people of Edo (present-day Tokyo) for its shrines, temples, and beaches with stunning views of Mt. Fuji. Access from Tokyo became dramatically more convenient when railways were built at the end of the 19th century. Especially after the construction of the Emperor’s Imperial Villa, Kamakura became a favored summer retreat for politicians and entrepreneurs, and writers such as Yasunari Kawabata (1899 – 1972), Japan’s first Nobel laureate in literature, also took up permanent residence. The newcomers created a distinct new culture, organizing various social activities and spearheading conservation movements.
A red torii led to a busy shopping district next to the train station. We turned down a residential street and walked for 10 minutes to our first stop, where we saw a Japanese couple in traditional dress.
The Eishoji Buddhist Temple (1636)
The entrance doors to shrines and temples were often very low, to remind people of their smallness in the universe and to require samurai to remove their swords.
This temple had a small bamboo grove and was in parts built into the side of a cliff. Kamakura was VERY hilly compared to flat Tokyo.
There were many more cherry blossoms and other flowers blooming in Kamakura than in Tokyo (maybe the city’s location on the 60-degree Pacific Ocean prevented the cold nights Tokyo had been having).
There were many lovely old buildings.
I spotted a “hole” in the cliff from a distance and, on closer inspection, saw stairs leading down. I heard a sound and was very startled when Alex emerged.
We had been wandering around separately, and they had found the entrance. Inside was a statue and shrine.
A long staircase carved into the rock led to another small shrine. It was very peaceful, there were only a few other visitors.
It was just a 10-minute walk to the next Temple.
We passed old traditional Japanese homes and modern ones, some small shrines, and bamboo growing by a stream.
Kaizoji Temple (1394).
At almost every temple, shrine, or palace, they mention how many times the structure burned down and was last rebuilt. Alex asked, “Why all the fires?” I said, “earthquakes, wood buildings, oil lanterns.” As we saw on the news in Japan, they also have wildfires caused by lightning during the dry season.
The entrance at the end of the street was very modest-looking, but we saw the gorgeous buildings nestled into the wooded hills once we passed through.
The interiors were not elaborate but elegant and peaceful.
There was a rustic path leading around the building and some small shrines inside caves.
Then, we saw a perfect view. I could have sat and just contemplated it for hours. It reminds me that I suggest reading my travel blogs on a computer or tablet. The best photos can not be fully appreciated on a tiny phone screen.
There was a quiet trickle of water over moss-covered rocks and a still pond reflecting the building and hills. On the hillside, there was also a wide variety of plants with different colors and textures. The cherry trees were still a few weeks from really blooming.
Our next destination was the Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine. Google Maps wanted us to walk a long loop on the road back towards town and then north, but the visitor map showed a walking path, and I had seen a sign a few blocks back.
On the walk back, I noticed a modern house on a hill atop an ancient shrine. The building permit must have required leaving it intact. From there, the house probably had a nice view of the Pacific.
Alex and I had seen (and heard) many large crows in Tokyo, and I learned they were called “jungle” crows, almost raven-sized. They were not popular with the locals, though, as they would tear open any garbage bags and disperse the mess. There were a variety of bins and other systems to fight the crows and lots of signs on streets. I noticed after a few days in Tokyo that while there were pigeons like in large western cities, there were no squirrels anywhere.
It said the shortcut to the shrine was only 650M, but…. when the street ended….
I promised Alex that even though it looked steep and muddy, it would only be a 10-minute hike up, and luckily, I was correct. And at the top, there were some vending machines!
We had climbed over the Kewaizaka Pass, which was historically significant.
As it approached midday, more people were at the sites, and we saw several school groups. The pavement had interesting “grip stamps.”
The Zeniari Benzaiten Shrine has a natural spring where people bring money to dip in the water to make the money “lucky”.
The entrance takes you through a long tunnel.
I had thought there would be a small spring at the end of the cave, but it opened to a vast area of buildings and even some small shops selling food and trinkets.
Since this was a shrine (Shinto), it had a place to wash our hands before we entered. The temples (Buddhist) and the shrines both sold fortunes and items on which to write prayers or wishes (the wooden panels are called “Ema”). Both types of worship included burning incense.
The natural spring was inside a big cave with a few small shrines. There were woven baskets where you could put your money in the water.
We knew it would be a 30-minute walk to the next site, so we were glad to grab something to eat at the small tea house next to the shrine.
We weren’t sure what these balls on a stick were (I googled it later), but we each chose a different sauce and ate inside the rustic building. They were very tasty.
Alex saw a small sign indicating a waterfall, and we went up a path to see it and some colorful Koi.
It was a downhill walk along a pretty residential street. The orange tree made it clear the climate was very temperate here. The netting was probably to keep the evil crows from snacking.
I had seen a meme about how no matter how hard one tries to dress well on vacation in Japan, there will be a better-dressed dog. And it was true that almost all dogs had some clothing on.
The last two blocks before we reached the Giant Buddha were very touristy, with restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops.
I would have tried the quail egg in a baby octopus on a stick but we had already eaten….
Amazingly, this 50-foot-tall Bronze Buddha was cast 800 years ago and was originally covered in gold leaf. The Temple buildings burned down several times, and once, an earthquake caused a tsunami that destroyed all of Kamakura except the statue. It was a little too touristy compared to the other places we had visited, but the statue was amazing, and we even got to go inside the statue for less than a dollar.
It was another short walk to our next stop, the Hasedera Temple.
Just inside the entrance was a large pond with beautiful landscaping and plants.
There were a lot of people visiting here and several young women in traditional dresses getting their photos taken.
One of the reasons I wanted to visit this Temple was that it was the only one in Kamakura with a view of the ocean. Of course, that meant another uphill walk.
We were rewarded at the top, though, by a restaurant with a view!
There were several cute Nagomi Jizo statues. Nagomi means “calm/relaxing”.
Jizo are properly called “Jizo Bosatsu”, originating in ancient India where in Sanskrit they are called Ksitigarbha , which means earth womb. Jizo statues are made out of stone, which is said to have a spiritual power for protection and longevity that predates Buddhist beliefs. Jizo are often dressed in red bibs and hats as in Japan it is believed that the colour red can help ward off evil.
Jizo scriptures were introduced to Japan during the Nara period (710-749), but it did not spread as a religious belief until the end of the Heian period (794-1185) with the development of Pure Land Buddhism when fear of hell became stronger. Jizo began to be seen as saviours of all living things from suffering in hell and as guardians who protect children on the banks of the Sai no Kawara (Limbo of Infants Shrine) in Sado, Niigata. In the process, Jizo changed from its original bodhisattva form to that of a monk.
Jizo protects the souls of children who have passed away and of unborn babies. According to Japanese belief, when a child dies before their parents do, they are not able to cross the river to the afterlife and so time is spent making stone towers as an act of penance. Devils knock down these stone towers and this is when O-Jizo-san appears to save them and look after them as a guardian in replacement of their parents.
Jizo also protects travellers, a tradition derived from the ancient belief of Dosojin who protects travellers. Statues of this deity, which were generally shaped like a couple, were placed on mountain pathways, crossroads, and on the border of villages.
There were several areas with notable monuments in remembrance of still-born or infant deaths.
There was an art museum, but I only had time to look around the first room.
There was an amazing moss/bonsai terrarium that had a fog generator.
There was a nice temple and bell on the hill slope.
And a gorgeous path through a garden with a long bamboo pipe carrying water from one pond to another.
I thought we were done when Alex and I met back up after exploring on our own after lunch but they asked “did you see the cave?”. I said I had already seen several caves so I was good but they said “NO, you have to see This cave!”.
There was a very long path through the cave system past old carvings and shrines and a display of tiny Buddhas that looked at first like toy soldiers.
We walked to the nearby beach and saw some seaweed drying in the sun and a reminder to get to high ground if there was an earthquake. We didn’t feel even a tiny tremor during our two weeks in Japan (quite the disappointment) but I had experienced the Northridge 6.7 Quake in L.A. in 1994 and Alex felt the NYC one last year. We were talking on the phone at the time, and they said they felt the NYU arts building moving, and I said, “It’s probably just construction.”… 🙂
On the opposite shore, there were many beach hotels, where Tokyo residents like to escape the summer city heat.
I told Alex I felt the water was at least 60 (Google said 58), and I would have swum if I had a suit and more time. I collected a few nice shells. Alex got some great photos of Kites flying overhead. We debated whether the toy or the bird was named first, and it was actually the bird (named in the middle ages for its call), according to Google. The Kite will often hover very still while hunting, one did so above us on a bridge in Kyoto and we also saw a family with a Kite shaped like a Kite!!!
We walked up the main street along the river back to the train station. I took a photo of one of the cute, tiny police stations we saw everywhere. Kamakura is a surfing spot in the correct season and they had fish taco shops and surfing gear.
The main street became very modern very quickly, which was a stark contrast to the historic shrines and temples only a short walk away. It was only a 15-minute wait for the next train to Tokyo (no tickets necessary, just swiped my phone). It had been a long day- 35,000 steps (and many hills). It probably was not best for someone running a marathon in 2 days, but fully experiencing Japan was more important than my race time.
It was dark by the time we got back to Tokyo.
I must have been REALLY tired because there were no dinner food selfies! I assume we grabbed some Ramen or Soba and some 7-11 treats on the way to the room.
If one has the time, there is a lot more to see and do in Kamakura, and it would really be ideal to spend one night there and do two days of sightseeing.
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