Kamakura- the best adventure yet

As part of orientation it is required to get acquainted with the train system, so today I ventured out and did some more sightseeing. This time around I actually had some buddies to hang with- much better than doing things on my own. So off we went- myself, Adam, Dan and Travis to be awed by one of the old capitals of Japan, Kamakura.

With the sea on one side and densely wooded hills on the other, Kamakura was originally used as base by the Minamoto clan back in the 1180s. Now check this out, the Minamoto clan and the Taira clan were great warrior families with a lot of beef. When the Minamoto clan defeated the Taira clan in 1192 their leader, Yoritomo, was appointed shogun and ruled from Kamakura. But when he kicked it his wife's family could only defend the area until 1333 before it was taken over by Emperor Go-Daigo and the capital moved back to Kyoto.

Nonetheless, there is a great deal of history left in this community. One of the most impressive sights is the Daibutsu, other known as the Great Buddha. Its construction was said to have been inspired by Yoritomo's visit to Nara (where the biggest Buddha stands..well, sits).

The Shinto shrine that we visited is the main one in Kamakura. There were so many things going on at once. Kids in their school uniforms chasing pigeons, elderly paying their respects in the shrine (bow bow, clap, clap, bow), and couples getting married.

We then headed to another temple, but this one was a little scarey. It was the Enno-ji temple, which is distinguished primarily by its collection of statues depicting the judges of hell. Check out the video. The big one in the middle is noted for it's fierce gaze and is the ruler of the hell's 10 kings.

Our eyes, ears, and noses had some great treats throughout the day, so we couldn't let our tastebuds be left out. We stopped in this extremely busy street at an icecream shop and had some sweet potato and vanilla icecream. It really was good. I also tried this jello-y thing that i thought was going to be sweet but it was NASTY! It's all in a days adventure.