Page 140 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

138  JAP AN REGION B Y REGION

4 Kamakura pro portions are distorted so
Kamakura that it seems balanced to those
in front of it – this use of
A seaside town of temples and wooded hills, Kamakura was perspective may show Greek
Japan’s administrative capital from 1192 until 1333. As a influence (via the Silk Road).
legacy, today it has 19 Shinto shrines and 65 Buddhist tem­ The interior is open to visitors.
ples, inc luding two of Japan’s oldest Zen mona steries (in Kita  Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu
Kamakura, see p140). Many of the temples and gardens nestle Shrine
against the hills ringing the town and are linked by three £ Kamakura stn. Tel (0467) 22-0315.
hiking trails. Favored by artists and writers, Kamakura has Open daily. Kamakura National
numerous antique and crafts shops. In cherry­blossom season Treasure House Museum: Tel (0467)
22-0753. Open Tue–Sun. &
and on summer weekends, it can be swamped by visitors.
Some parts are best explored on foot, but there are one­day Hachiman shrines are dedi cated
to the god of war; this one is also
bus passes and bicycles for rent at Kamakura station. a guardian shrine of the Minamoto
(or Genji) clan. Built in 1063
beside the sea, it was moved
here in 1191. The approach runs
between two lotus ponds: YOKOHAMA
the Genji Pond has three
islands (in Japanese san Kita-Kamakura
means both three and Station
life) while the Heike Pond, Engaku-ji
Temple
named for a rival clan, has Tokei-ji Hansobo
Shrine
Temple
four (shi means both four Meigetsu-in Ten-en
and death). The path Jochi-ji Temple Hiking Trail
leads to the Maiden stage Temple
The path down the center of Wakamiya-oji, Kamakura’s main street for dances and music. The
main shrine above was Choju-ji Kakuon-ji
 Hase-dera Temple hall dedicated to Jizo, guardian reconstructed in 1828 in Temple Kencho-ji Temple Temple
K AMAKURA-KAIDO
£ Hase stn. @ Tel (0467) 22-6300. of children, surrounded by Edo style. To the east, Zuisen-ji
Temple
Open daily. & ∑ www.hase count less statues to children the Kamakura National
dera.jp/en/ who have died or been aborted. Treasure House Museum Enno-ji Tsurugaoka
Temple
Simple and elegant, Hase-dera contains a wealth of Hachiman-gu
Shrine
is home to a superb 11-faced  Great Buddha temple treasures. Kamakura-gu
Kannon, bodhisattva of mercy. £ Hase stn. @ Tel (0467) 22-0703. Shrine
Zeni-Arai
The Treasure House displays char- Open daily. & ∑ nkdaibutsu.com Benten Shrine Prefectural Modern Sugimoto-dera
National
acterful Muromachi-era carvings The Great Buddha (Daibutsu) is Art Gallery Treasure House Temple
of the 33 incarnations of Kannon Kamakura’s most famous sight. Museum KAN AZAWA-KAIDO
Sasuke-no
and a 1421 image of Daikokuten, Cast in 1252, the bronze statue Inari Shrine Jomio-ji Temple
god of wealth. Beside it is the sutra of the Amida Buddha is 13.5 m K O M A C H I - D O R I Hokai-ji
repository; rotating the sutras is (44 ft) tall. Having survived tidal W A K A M I Y A - O J I Temple
said to earn as much merit as waves, fires, earthquakes, and KO M A C H I - D O R I
reading them. The 1264 bell is typhoons, it now has shock SHIYAKUSHO-DORI Hokoku-ji
Temple
the town’s oldest. Below it is a absorbers in its base. Its Great Buddha Kamakura
Hiking Trail Station
Gion-san
Hiking Trail
Myohon-ji
Temple
Sights at a Glance Great Buddha Y U I GA H A M A - D O R I
1 Engaku-ji Temple (Daibutsu)
2 Tokei-ji Temple Wadazuka Myoho-ji
Station
3 Meigetsu-in Temple Hase-dera Yuigahama Temple
4 Kencho-ji Temple Temple Station Nameri R iver Ankokuron-ji
5 Zeni-Arai Benten Shrine Temple
Hase
6 Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine Station Chosho-ji
Temple
7 Zuisen-ji Temple YOKOSUKA
8 Sugimoto-dera Temple
9 Hokoku-ji Temple N A T I O N A L H I G H W A Y 1 3 4 Kuhon-ji
Yuigahama
Temple
0 Myohon-ji Temple ENOSHIMA Beach
The head of the Great Buddha, q Hase-dera Temple
or Daibutsu w Great Buddha
For hotels and restaurants see p303 and pp326–9
138-139_EW_Japan.indd 138 08/08/16 4:24 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm