On Saturday, Michael and I hopped the train to Kamakura. Kamakura is a great little day trip from Tokyo, and we find ourselves making it pretty often. It's the perfect way to get out of the city spur-of-the-moment.
This time, we decided to check out a temple that we haven't seen yet - the Kencho-ji Temple. This is a huge, Buddhist temple that incorporates more traditional temples/Buddhas, a Zen garden, a Shinto Shrine and some nice hiking trails.
Here is the Buddha in the temple at the front of the complex.
There are also beautiful gardens. Here they keep pots with water growing lotuses.
This pink lotus was probably the most perfect flower there. The lotuses grow really high, so I had to hold my camera above my head to get this shot. (Notice my purse on the left...)
There were also enormous lilies. This lily was the size of a dinner plate, and the orange spots are actually sticky spots on the petals that are holding pollen.
As you approach the hiking side of the temple, the forest starts.
That's right - its a bamboo forest. For some reason I was really into the bamboo forest - maybe it's because we just don't have bamboo in the Midwest. I find the tall bamboo so beautiful - it's hard to believe that these aren't trees, but actually a species of grass!
This is how Michael spent most of the day.
The final ascent is up this staircase to a Shinto Shrine. The hillside by the stairs is guarded by statues, to whom the shrine is dedicated.
I thought they were particularly scary. Wikipedia tells me they are "crow tengu", but Michael thought they were like flying monkeys.
Kencho-ji is a great example of the melding of religious traditions in Japan. Buddhist Temple, Shinto Shrine, some Zen thrown in - there is no concept of picking one religion over the other or keeping them separate. It really resonates with me - using many ways to seek spiritual fulfillment. I especially like how gardens and nature are factored in. In the end, it was a great way to spend Saturday afternoon together.
No comments:
Post a Comment