Autumn Leaves in Kamakura – Kotokuin Temple

More photos from my trip to Kamakura the other week. I visited the Kotokuin temple, famous for its 11th century great buddha statue, the big buddha of Kamakura. The city of Kamakura is also in essence the quintessential Japan. It has everything (except rice paddies): the ocean, temples, mountains, shrines, caves, culture, history, shopping, trains, winding old streets and a much needed intensive does of nature.

The Kotokuin temple has two parts, one garden part and one main courtyard where the big buddha is. Most people tend to spend time the big buddha and miss the other parts which might not have anywhere near as much drawing power as the statue. But there are a few things to see, not least (in this season) being the wonderfully red momiji, or Acer Palmatum, or Japanese maple as it is most commonly known in the west. It is the essential autumn tree in Japan. You can really have an autumn fair, an autumn postcard, serve an autumn meal or wear an autumn kimono without making some sort of reference to the momiji. Think of it as the sakura (cherry blossom) of the autumn!

Kotokuin temple is a nice longish walk from Kamakura station (you’ll need a good sense of direction or a map) or a quicker walk from Hase station on the Endoen. It is easy to combine with a short trip to the Yuigahama beach to get a nice view of the Pacific Ocean as well!

Kamakura Kotokuin Temple – Big Buddha

Last weekend I visited Kamakura south of Tokyo, one of Japan’s ancient capitals and wonderful city by the Pacific Ocean. The weather was interesting, going from ominous black clouds to brilliant sunshine to short rains all through the day. I guess most people stayed indoors that day. I visited the Kotokuin, the temple that is most famous for its giant Buddha statue built in 1252. Originally the statue was housed in a wooden buildings but Japan being the land of earthquakes, tsunami and typhoons, it has been destroyed many times since then. I also found a very tiny hidden statue, the sixth photo, inside the temple grounds that I had never seen before. I wonder how many people walk past it every day without noticing it?

This temple was visited by the poet Rudyard Kipling in 1892 and was made famous in his writings during the following years. It is possible that the prior of the temple was inspired by Kiplings poem and maybe the surge in foreign tourists to post the unusual sign asking visitors to behave inside the temple grounds? The sign is posted before the entrance but easily missed I guess, and written in wonderfully old fashioned Japanese and English.

Kunimigaoka – Miyazaki Prefecture Power Spot

Back in the mythical past of Japanese history, the grandson of the first emperor of Japan (Emperor Jimmu), Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto (健磐龍命), was sent out by the government to survey the country. Almost in the middle of the island of Kyushu he walked up a mountain to see the land and this spot became known as Kunimigaoka (国見ヶ丘), or “the hill from where you can see the country”. From here it is today possible to three of the nine traditional “countries” of Kyushu: Miyazaki prefecture, Kumamoto prefecture and Oita prefecture. Kunimigaoka is located a short drive from the city of Takachiho (高千穂) on of the most inaccessible and gorgeous little towns in Kyushu. The spot is also famous among photographers for the “sea of clouds” effect you can get on certain cold mornings, where the surrounding country is covered in clouds and only the mountain tops peak out of the mist for a totally surreal experience. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to wait around for that very rare atmospheric effect. Apart from the Shinto appeal of the place, there is also a Buddhist connection, as you might be able to spot in the first photo of this post: can you see the silhouette of the resting Buddha? From left to right in the middle of the photo, a mountain ridge that looks like the legs, hip, shoulders and head of a buddha statue laying down.

Anyway, back to the Emperor Jimmu connection. There’s no evidence of such an emperor ever existing, but neither is there any evidence that disproves him, so no matter what you believe, he is a mythological person for all we know. It is said that Emperor Jimmu was the grandson of the sun goddess, but that he was born and raised here in Takachiho in present day Miyazaki prefecture. He is said to have been born around 700 B.C. but it wasn’t until about 800 A.D. that he is firmly established as the first emperor in actual writing (that remains to this day). Because of this mythological claim to have been the birthplace of the imperial lineage, Miyazaki prefecture today runs a tourism slogan “The birthplace of Mythology”, and there are many “power spots” in the prefecture. I don’t believe in power spots, but in the last few years it has been a popular subject in Japanese press and media. The whole island of Kyushu does have a certain special “vibe” though, something you can’t quite put your finger on, that makes it a special place, maybe that is just me?

The spot itself is beautiful, with a different kind of nature compared to the sub tropical lowlands of Kyushu, here it is dominated by trees and animals that we would expect to find in much more northern areas. There’s a large monument to commemorate Emperor Jimmu’s grandson’s “view of the country”. The text inscribed in the monument was far too complicated for me (and indeed many native Japanese) but I assume his royal highness is in the middle and that the other two are his ministers or assistants. More about Kyushu, Miyazaki and the city of Takachiho coming later this month!

Tokaishi Big Buddha

I think a lot of people around the world tend to overlook what there is to see or do in their own home towns, none more so than the Japanese I think. Not many people in Aichi prefecture knows about this Big Buddha statue near the Shurakuen station, in the Maruyama Park or Tokai City, a neighboring city of Nagoya.