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The Wooded Hills of KamakuraBy Rosario Charie AlbarThe Kamakura countryside is within an hour by train from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo but is so far removed from the trappings of the big city. Set amidst a backdrop of wooded hills and sea, it is the ideal place for prayer and meditation.
Closer to the train station is Hasedera (Hase Kannon Temple) which is on a hillside. A lovely garden leads to a flight of stairs leading to an area full of statuettes of Jizo, the deity of children. In the past, these figures were presented by parents to the goddess for the protection of their children. Today, it symbolizes the children that are stillborn, miscarried or aborted. There are so many of these statuettes that temple staff has to replace them every year to make room for new offerings.
From the terrace there is a sweeping view of Yuigahama, the Miura peninsula and the rooftops of Hase. Picnic tables and chairs allow visitors to enjoy their surroundings while eating or relaxing. Down the hill is a small cave dedicated to Benten and to other minor deities. Benten is the goddess of beauty, wisdom and the arts and as such, is the patroness of geishas, dancers and musicians.
One of Tibet's most revered yogis, Milarepa, wrote the following song in the 11th century: "Rest in a natural way like a
small child Under the glow of fading light in the Kamakura countryside, I rested blissfully, albeit fleetingly, before being swept once more by the sea of humanity that awaited me in Tokyo. * * * Getting there: The JR Yokosuka line bound for Zushi, Kurihama or Yokosuka departs from Tokyo Station for the hour-long trip to Kamakura. From Kamakura to Hase, take either the Enoden line or a bus bound for Hase in front of the train station. The walk from Kamakura station to Hase may take about 20 minutes. by Rosario Charie Albar |
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A small train chugs along the Enoden line from Kamakura to
Hase where we got off for the short stroll to see the Daibutsu or Great Buddha.
Measuring 37 ft. in height and weighing 93 tons, it is the second largest bronze
statue of Buddha in Japan. I could see its face through the wooden slats which
make up the gate enclosing an area where a temple once sheltered the statue.
That temple was washed away by a tsunami in 1495, exposing the Daibutsu to the
elements for the last 500 years. But this has proved to be a godsend because
visitors can see the Amita Buddha amidst green hills and blue sky.
Hasedera is dedicated to Kannon, the 11-headed goddess of
mercy and happiness. Inside the largest of the halls or Kannon-do is a 30-ft.
gilded wooden statue of Kannon. Worshippers toss money into the offering
box, clap their hands three times then bow their heads in prayer. Outside the
hall, pilgrims surround an incense burner from which they draw the smoke, hoping
it will touch them with good fortune.
Three red torii gates mark the way to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu,
a Shinto shrine dedicated to Hachiman, the kami (god) of war. He is the patron
of the samurai and the Minamoto family. It was Minamoto Yoritomo who founded the
Kamakura government and was its first shogun. In 1180, he enlarged and moved the
shrine to its current site.
There was a wedding party at the shrine so we waited
patiently for the ceremony to finish for a chance at taking pictures of the
bridal entourage dressed in traditional attire. While waiting, I examined the
wooden tablets called ema on which were written the wishes of worshippers for
special blessings. I also found omikuji which are strings of fortune telling
paper. Tying the omikuji to a tree branch ensures good fortune will ensue or bad
luck will be averted.