Rick Suggest a Rickshaw

I couldn't help the title of this section, but here is a picture of Rick and Luke contemplating a rickshaw.

We passed  by Jufukugi on our way back to town, and there was an active service going on as we approached. You could hear the beat of the drums as worshipers gathered at the temple. Being a part of the service was a real treat. We didn't stay long, and I did not want to take pictures of the ceremony of the temple since there was an active service going on. I did grab a picture of the long walk way to the shrine as we left. The shrine itself was founded by Eisai. He is basically the St. Patrick of  Japan, but Buddhist

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As you can see from the picture, there is a long approach to the shrine that provides a peaceful walk.
The day was nearing an end and we wanted to get to Hachimangu shrine. Luckily, Hachimangu is right down the street from the train station. It is a shrine, not a temple;therefore, it is devoted to Shinto and is dedicated to the patron spirit of the Samurae, Hachiman.  The wooden planks, bails or rice and lanterns that typify a shinto shrine were evident at Hachimangu. We entered to the shrine area from a side street with an imposing view of the main shrine high up a set of stairs.

If you look to the left of the stairs, you can see a fenced area. There was once a beautiful Ginko tree here that died in 2010 from the cold. I am not sure If a Kingo will grow back. I'm not sure if the tree will grow back, but it's root base is protected by the fence around it. 

The view from the top of the shrine gave a great view of the near by buildings and the surrounding area all the way to the train station. As we walked down the the stairs to head toward the train station, I noticed two lakes that were full of lilies. I grabbed a couple shots before we started loking for food.

I liked the walkway from the shrine to the airport so much, I took a picture of it. on either side of the path is a one way street lined with shops, but the little path in the center gave a very looking out feeling rather than an I'm in the middle of two roads.

After placing Thomas Yang in charge of dinner, we meandered through the streets looking for dinner. Thomas is a pretty picky guy, and this may not have been a good time to delegate. Luke, Rick and I found a menu that looked agreeable, but Thomas was convinced there was better food in Kamakaru.  We ran our great circle of streets passing a KFC, a lot of Japanese spots and Mc. Donalds. We finally
decided on the original choice and we had some excellent Japanese food. 

We all hopped the train back to Tokyo. I noticed it was a straight shot to Tokyo station, so I told the guys I wasn't getting off. Luke viewed the map, and figured he had a better way to get to Shinjuku Hilton. We parted ways. In retrospect they should have stayed on my train. Luke's decision put the guys on the local train back to Shinjuku. I was back to my hotel before the next train arrived to pick them up.

I got grabbed a train from Tokyo to Otemachi and then to the station at my hotel. When I surfaced from the underground, I could hear the distance sound of music, and I followed it to a small lighted area a block or two from the hotel. Laterns filled the darkness as the Tycho drums kept a constant rhythm. I'll post the pictures in my picasa link , but I grabbed some video.

It was an amazing day.  The dancing really capped it off well. I would recommend Kamakura as a great alternative to Kyoto.  There was still more to see. We missed a few temples, and we missed the ocean. I think I really missed spending the night there. The feeling of country side was a good breather from Tokyo. The travel sites recommend autumn and spring as the best times to go. I can see what with the cherry blossoms in the valley to bring life to spring and the mountains surrounding Kamakaru exploding with color in the fall. For anyone interested, here are the rest of the Kamakura pictures.



Pictures of Kamakura