Day Trip at Kamakura (Part 2)-The Hase-dera Temple

Blissful Jizo Bodhisattva Statues at Hase-dera Temple

My second stop at Kamakura after the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine was the beautiful Hase-dera temple. The temple was built on a wooded hill and it's main draw is the 9.18 meter wooden statue of Kannon (Goddess of Mercy). It has eleven heads, each representing the different characteristic of the Goddness.

To reach the temple, we took Kamakura's trademark train via the Enoden (Enoshima Electric Railway Station) from the Kamakura station to the Hase station. The ride was rather unique as it cut through the residential district and the railway track was in touching proximity of the houses. I guessed the residents must have already got themselves immune to the rumbling sound every time a train passed by their houses.

Enoden

The ride took about 10 minutes. We have to walk for another 10 minutess to reach the Hase-dera temple. There were shop houses selling souvenirs and foods along the way but we skipped them, having our fill already at Komachi-dori. One thing I learnt from this trip was how to already differentiate a Shinto shrine from a Buddhist temple at the entrance. A Shinto shrine always has a Torii to mark it's entrance whereas a Japanese Buddhist temple has beautifully decorated gate, often flanked by two Godly or Demonic guardians and trademarked by a red lantern in between the entrance.

Front Gate of Hase-dera Temple

Photo at Hase-dera Temple's front gate

Picture Map of Hase-dera Temple

The front gate of Hase-dera temple was beautifully decorated with fauna and flora. A big lantern hanging in between the gate indicated that it was a temple devoted to Buddhism. We paid the entrance fee via an electronic ticket counter (Adult: 300 Yen, Child: 100 Yen) and went into the temple through the side gate. A beautiful garden greeted us but we did not spend too much time in it. Instead, we went straight for the stairs to climb uphill to the main temple.( Side note: I did not often support the charges for temples' visits. A temple is a religious ground where people from all aspects of background can offer their prayers and respect to the gods. I have experienced temples at Thailand, China, Japan etc charging for temple visits. I hope the money collected are put to good use like helping the poor and maintaining the temple ground but not for business profits)

Jizo Bodhisattva Statues#1

Jizo Bodhisattva Statues#2

Jizo Bodhisattva Statues#3

Jizo Bodhisattva Statues#4

Jizo Bodhisattva Statues#5

At the middle of the hill, I was drawn to the many small Buddha status that lined the slope and ground of the hill. They were Jizo Bodhisattva statues contributed by devotee to help the souls of dead children to reach paradise. We would see many of these in various versions in the temple ground. My wife took sometime to bath a Buddha statue with a ladle from the crystal clear pool. We spent quite a while here admiring the scene before continued our climb up the stairs.

Kannan-do Hall

Photo at Kannan-do Hall

The uphill climb was not arduous and we soon reached the main temples. There were two main halls-the Kannan-do hall (which housed the famous Goddess of Mercy statue) and the Amida-do hall. No photography was allowed in the Kannan-do hall. The imposing and finely crafted statue towered over the visitors and was very well-preserved.  The Japanese have spent great effort to preserve their treasures and heritage and set a good example for many others to follow. There is another similar statue carved out from the same camphor tree housed in another temple at Nara.

View over Kamakura City

There was an observation deck which overlooked the city and the sweeping view of the nearby ocean. We took the opportunity to take a breather at one of the many benches stationed there. We could see many people buying snacks from a nearby small restaurant while enjoying the wonderful scenery. We resisted the temptation as we had plans for a sushi feast for dinner! We saw many Kites hovering around in the sky and there were Warning Signs to warn people of the aggressive birds. These applied specially for those who did not want the Kites to disturb them with their razor sharp claws while enjoying their snacks.

Photo with beautiful Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas#1

Hydrangeas#2

Hydrangeas#3

View from Top Platform

I was preparing to leave but was told by Alison and Charlotte that they had discovered another path further uphill. We explored further and were glad we did not leave earlier. The pathway was adjourned with colourful and pretty hydrangeas at both sides which led to a top platform. The girls could not resist the lure of the flowers and dashed to pose with the ones they liked. Poor me (with my heavy camera equipments and bags) have to  keep up with them while they complained "how slow I move and why I was not not taking photos of them" :-S The narrow stairs and steeper slope did not deter us from reaching the top. But I was sure I must have lost a couple of fats as I was sweating profusely. From here, we could capture the bird eye view of Kamakura with the sea and their famous flowers. I found out later that one would need to take a Q-number to admire the flowers during the peak period. We were lucky to avoid that situation. Note that hydrangeas are at full bloom during the June period only. Plan your time nicely if you want to witness their beauty and glamour.

Buddha statues near hill bottom

We wished to stay here longer but running a bit out of time for our next destination-The Kotokuin Temple and the Big Daibutsu. I strongly recommend you to put this beautiful temple in your list when you visit Kamakura next time.   

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Tokyo Trip: Asakusa and Senso-ji Temple

Kaminarimon-The Thunder Gate

Any tourist going to Tokyo will not want to miss Asakusa. It's the old town of Tokyo where the famous Senso-ji temple is located. My wife and I have visited Senso-ji temple at our previous trip and we have been missing the place since. It was no surprise that we chose to visit Tokyo oldest temple again. As the newly built Tokyo Sky Tree is only a stone throw away from Asakusa, we planned it together in the day's itineraries.

Guardian of the Gate

Big Red Lantern

Bottom View of Lantern

The first sight that greeted us when we came out from the Asakusa Train Station was Kaminarimon-the Thunder Gate which was the outer gate of Senso-ji temple. Flanked by the two statue guardians-Fuijin (God of Wind) and Raijin (God of Thunder), the entrance of the gate was easily recognizable by the big red lantern with the Chinese character "Thunder Gate" hanging in between. The Thunder Gate is the symbol and icon of Asakusa. It is always crowded but taking a photo with it is a must do when you visit Senso-ji temple.

Nakamise-dori

Japanese Masks

Lanterns for Sale

Yummy...yummy

Amulets

Entered thru the gate, we reached the crowded Nakamise-dori. Stalls selling masks, souvenirs, foods, clothing, accessories etc lined the both sides of the 200 meters street. We were spoiled for choices on what to buy back home and took our time to explore the stalls that caught our eyes. Make sure you compare the prices of the stalls that sell similar items before purchasing anything. The difference can be vast. Generally I felt the stalls nearer to the Kaminarimon were cheaper but I could be wrong.

Hozomon Gate

Big Sandal

Hozomon Gate and Asakusa Pagoda

Hozomon Gate and Sky Tree

We would reach the second gate-Hozomon Gate leading to the main temple. Just like Kaminarimon, it is protected by two guardians (Two Deva Kings) with a large red lantern at the main gateway. There are two side gateways which are distinguished by a gold lantern each hanging from the ceiling. The Hozomon gate has a second floor which historic Buddhists' treasures are stored. But it is restricted to the public. At the rear end of the gate, two gigantic sandals donned the walls at either side. It was said they were shoes made for the Deva Kings that guarded the gate. At the left side of the Hozomon Gate lies the famous Asakusa Pagoda. The five story pagoda housed the sacred Buddha's relic and can be visited only at certain time of the year.

Main Shrine-Hondo

Purification Fountain

Close View of Hondo

Girls in Kimono

Going through the Hozomon Gate, we reached the main shrine (Hondo) of the temple. It was newly renovated. After the purification process at the purification fountain, we offered our prayer to the sacred golden Kannon statue which was housed inside the inner shrine and out of sight to the public. Legend told that in Year 628, the statue was found and re-found by two fishermen at the Sumida River after they threw it back into the river. The chief of their village enshrined the statue in small temple, recognizing the sacredness of the statue.  Following the local custom, we offered incense at the incense pot at the main temple ground. It was said that the smoke from the offered incense would cure one from any illness and bad luck. We also visited the Asakusa Shrine that is dedicated to the two fishermen brothers-Hinokuma and Takenari Hamanari. Pay attention to the two Komainu (Korean lion dogs) guardians after the stone Torii. I found them rather special. Near the Asakusa Shrine was Nitenmon-the lesser known gate of the Senso-ji temple.

Asakusa Shrine with Komainu

Senso-ji Temple Layout

On our way back to the Kaminarimon, we visited some old streets that side tracked from Nakamise-dori. There were many things on offer and we could witness the day to day life that the locals lead. Note that some of the streets offer good photo-taking spots for the nearby Sky Tree. Make sure you snap some photos first if your next stop is there.

Colorful shop

Old Street Shot 1

Photo with Sky Tree

Old Street Shot 2

Street shot with Sky Tree

Give me a "FIVE"!

One of the reasons we came to Asakusa was also to try the it's famous Unadon (Eel rice). We actually targeted a famous restaurant introduced by the tour guide book but found it already closed for business when we reached there. Guess what, it was only 130 pm! The business must be overwhelming.  We were quite disappointed as we have to walk a few streets to reach there. Our spirits picked up again when we found another restaurant which has a long history of selling Unadon.

Sorry! Shop Closed (Unadon Restaurant)

Lantern-making Shop

Open for Business! (Unadon Restaurant)

Although expensive, we were not disappointed. The Unadon served to us were of top quality. They could be easily distinguish from the ones you try at the normal shops. The tenderness of the grilled eels and tare sauce for seasoning were from a different league.  Make it compulsory to try the Unadon if you are here. This was one of my most sumptuous lunch in Tokyo.

Unadon Feast

My Portion

Last Photo before Feast

After filling our stomach, we were prepared for our next destination-The Tokyo Sky Tree.

Family Photo at Kaminarimon

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