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Hotel Class: 
3.5 Stars - 10 Opinions
1-2-18 Shichirigahama Higashi, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, 248-0025, Japan
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of people enjoy staying here
10 Opinions
Daibutsu in perspective
Great Buddha
Scene at Enkakuji
Enkakuji temple
Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone could help me with the following:
My visit to Tokyo is planned during the national holiday period (staying from 2 - 6 May) and during that time I would love to visit Kamakura. There are no tours available during the holiday period and I was wondering if anyone knows if the sights (temples, shrines, etc) will be open during this period.
If so, I probably head over there myself and do some wondering around.
Hope that someone can help me out with this issue.
Thanks in advance!
Have you asked this on the forum at www.japan-guide.com?
They are locals and will probably have an answer for you.
You really don't need a guided tour for Kamakura in any case. It is less than an hours ride on the train from Tokyo.
Go to Kamakura and see the Great Buddha. The statue is the largest in it's kind and used to stand in an enormous templecomplex (made of wood, so ... a fire destroyed the whole building). The surroundings are equally intresting, with many Shinto-shrines and Buddhistic temples.
Zen Buddhist Temple: Layout of this type of temple is based on Chinese Sung Dynasty temples, ie. symmetrical & rectilinear. The main buildings comprise of Sanmon (main gate), Butsuden (hall where Buddha image is housed), Hatto (lecture hall) & the monks' quarters all in a straight line one after another.
To enter the temple, you normally have to cross a bridge over a stream or pond, symbolizing the crossing from earthly world to that of Buddha.
Zen temples are normally less colorful than their Buddhist counterpart, intending to be so to facilitate enlightenment by the emptying of mind of worldly illusions.
Japanese language is one of the most complicated! Three types of characters. Anyway, here's some useful phrases to keep in mind in case you need help.
IN AN EMERGENCY:Help! Tas'kete!
Stop! Tomete!
Fire! Kaji!
Call the police Keisatsu o yonde kudasai!
Useful Phrases:
Yes Hai
No Ie
Thank you Arigato gozaimasu
Please Dozo
Sorry Sumimasen
Excuse Me Sumimasen
I don't understand Wakarimasen
Do you speak English? Eigo o hanashimasuka?
How are you? Ogenki desu ka ?
Good morning Ohayo gozaimasu
Good afternoon Konnichiwa
Good evening Konbanwa
Good night Oyasumi nasai
Good bye Sayonara
'Daibutsu' or 'great buddha'. A bronse statue of a sitting buddha. The statue was made in the 13th century and and rises 10 mtrs. It was placed in a temple which was completely destroyed by a tidal wave (tsunami) along with Kamakura. The statue of buddha survived an stands in open air for 6 centuries now. Nowadays the buddha is standing on an earthquake proof base.
For many of us its called the great buddha of kamakura for the locals is Daibutsu..either way is the most important site in the kamakura area, where thousand come to see this outdoor sitting buddha...
I was not very impressed, just thought he would be much bigger..:-)...the biggest buddha will be the one in Nara (Todaiji)...anyway, the day was picture perfect....
to be continue
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Address: 1-2-18 Shichirigahama Higashi, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, 248-0025, Japan
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