Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
272
Probably Kamakura's most famous attraction is the
Great Buddha
(
&
0467/22-0703
), called the Daibutsu in Japanese and located at
Kotokuin
Temple.
Eleven meters (36 ft.) high and weighing 93 tons, it's the second-largest bronze image in
Japan. The largest Buddha is in Nara, but in my opinion, the Kamakura Daibutsu is
much more impressive. For one thing, the Kamakura Buddha sits outside against a dra-
matic backdrop of wooded hills. Cast in 1252, the Kamakura Buddha was indeed once
housed in a temple like the Nara Buddha, but a huge tidal wave destroyed the wooden
structure—and the statue has sat under sun, snow, and stars ever since. I also prefer the
face of the Kamakura Buddha; I find it more inspiring and divine, as though with its
half-closed eyes and calm, serene face, it's above the worries of the world. It seems to
represent the plane above human suffering, the point at which birth and death, joy and
sadness, merge and become one. Open daily from 7am to 6pm (to 5:30pm Oct-Mar).
Admission is ¥200 for adults and ¥150 for children; I always keep the entry ticket for a
bookmark, a nice souvenir. If you want, you can pay an extra ¥20 to go inside the
statue—it's hollow—but there's usually a line and I find it claustrophobic.
About a 10-minute walk from the Daibutsu is
Hase Kannon Temple
(Hasedera)
(
&
0467/22-6300;
www.hasedera.jp), located on a hill with a sweeping view of the sea.
This is the home of an 11-headed gilt statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, housed
in the Kannon-do (Kannon Hall). More than 9m (30 ft.) high and the tallest wooden
image in Japan, it was made in the 8th century from a single piece of camphor wood.
The legend surrounding this Kannon is quite remarkable. Supposedly, two wooden
images were made from the wood of a huge camphor tree. One of the images was kept
in Hase, not far from Nara, while the second was given a short ceremony and then tossed
into the sea to find a home of its own. The image drifted 483km (300 miles) eastward
and washed up on shore but was thrown back in again because all who touched it became
ill or incurred bad luck. Finally, the image reached Kamakura, where it gave the people
no trouble. This was interpreted as a sign that the image was content with its surround-
ings, and Hase Kannon Temple was erected at its present site. Note how each face has a
different expression, representing the Kannon's compassion for various kinds of human
suffering. Also in the Kannon-do is a museum with religious treasures from the Kamak-
ura, Heian, Muromachi, and Edo periods.
Another golden statue housed here is of
Amida,
a Buddha who promised rebirth in
the Pure Land to the West to all who chanted his name. It was created by order of Yor-
itomo Minamoto upon his 42nd birthday, considered an unlucky year for men. You'll
find it housed in the Amida-do (Amida Hall) beside the Kannon-do to the right. Also of
interest is the
Kyozo,
with rotating book racks containing sutras (if you give the topic
racks a spin, it's considered just as auspicious as reading the sutras; but alas, you can do
so only on the 18th of each month).
Benten-kutsu Cave
contains many stone images,
including one of Benzaiten (seated, with a lute and a money box in front). A sea goddess
and patroness of music, art, and good fortune, she is the only female of Japan's Seven
Lucky Gods.
Prospect Road
is a 10-minute hiking path featuring flowers in bloom and
panoramic views.
As you climb the steps to the Kannon-do, you'll encounter statues of a different sort.
All around you will be likenesses of
Jizo,
the guardian deity of children. Although parents
originally came to Hase Temple to set up statues to represent their children in hopes the
deity would protect and watch over them, through the years the purpose of the Jizo
statues changed. Now they represent miscarried, stillborn, or aborted infants. More than
50,000 Jizo statues have been offered here since the war, but the hundreds or so you see
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