A few weeks ago me and a friend decided to go to Kamakura. I had never been there before and thought it would be fun to see a part of Japan that I had never seen before. Kamakura is about an hour outside of Tokyo in the Kanagawa Prefecture. There was a time in history that the government was established in Kamakura, and Japan was ruled right from this city. These days, with the numerous temples, shrines and beaches, it’s become a popular tourist spot.
This first photo is a Torii that serves as the entrance to the Hachimangu Shrine.
This is the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine main hall. The Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is considered to be the most important shrine in Kamakura. It was founded in 1063 by the first shogun of the Kamakura government, Minamoto Yoritomo. The shrine is dedicated to the patron god of the Morimoto Family and the samurais, Hachiman.
After visiting the Hachimangu Shrine shrine my friend and I made the walk to Kenchoji Temple. Even though it was a bit chilly out the walk was really nice and a great way to see some of the ins and outs of Kamakura.
This is the entrance to Kenchoji Temple.
This is Sanmon, the main gate to Kenchoji Temple. This gate is a great example of how well Japan preserves it’s traditions and history. I believe this gate has been up since the year 1253 and it still looks beautiful and very strong.
This is the Butsuden. It is a Buddha Hall that displays the statue of the Jizo Bodhisattva.
The Jizo Bodhisattva.
