Searching in Kamakura--part 2

Kamakura afternoon 3/13




















So, after the exhausting, but lovely, mostly uphill climb to the temple, I arrived at Jochi-ji from the side entrance and on my approach to the temple was greeted with the view of the lovely garden with beautiful moss-covered stone lanterns, plum trees finishing bloom, and colorful, early spring flowers slowly unfurling their majesty. It was a relatively small temple, but it was a pleasant place to wander, especially because there were more entrances/exits carved through rocks, a peaceful cemetery, and a hidden corner beneath a rocky overhang where stood the stone
statue of a smiling


Hotei, deity of contentment and the only one of the deities based on a historic Zen priest. I even got to walk around him, and rub his belly for good luck! Yay! I guess its like rubbing Buddha's tummy, right? (and obviously his belly's been rubbed quite a bit!)
Next, it was a walk across the train tracks and back down from the North Kamakura JR station to the famous Tsurugaoka Hachimangu --or just Hachimangu --shrine.
Hachiman, patron god of the samurai, is honored by his noble symbol: the pigeon (I couldn't make this up. That's really his symbol.) And, in this grand, spacious, and noble shrine, they are EVERYWHERE.
I mean it, terrorizing small children, perched atop visitor's hands (one even flew on my arm, presumably to score food? Dude pigeon, if I had food, I'd have already eaten it. for sure.) I decided they were just too much for me, and preceded to nearby the front gate where the shrine for the next of the 7 lucky deities, Ms. Benzaiten herself, was located. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the naked Benten statue I was expecting (the lascivious statue of a partially nude Benzaiten in question is on the island of Enoshima, which I plan to visit on my return trip this summer.) So, as my reward for suffering through the pigeons, was an anti-climactic mini-shrine where you can make your pleas and supplications to the goddess Benzaiten, goddess of music and wisdom and lone female of the group (kinda reminds you of Snow White a little, huh?) From there, it was on to the station of origin, Hase, which was a great downhill walk through this strange tunnel. The weather was beautiful, and I still had a couple more temples to go, so I soldiered on with my mini-map of Kamakura, and took a side street down to the next temple, dedicated to the god of warriors, Bishamonten, whom I prayed to to guide me through my kendo training (which I am taking an indefinite hiatus on because I don't understand enough Japanese to get anything done in that category!) once I resume training. He was a faded statue, visible only from waist up to his chin, and obviously well loved and looked after. After visiting him, I walked around and admired the tranquility of the small temple quarter and the garden near the side. Next, it was up the street to the first of my last 2 temples, Myoryuji, to pay a visit to the god of Longevity, twin god to Fukurokuju, and also based in Chinese lore. His attribute was a deer, and his tiny stone statue was kept inside a little side shrine with doors slightly ajar. Finally, just down the street, was the interestingly shaped rooves of my last temple/shrine of the 7 gods, and my favorite god, Ebisu, at Hongakuji. One of the larger temple complexes, he himself was kept in a circular building just near the entrance, the largest of all the buildings holding such a figure (except maybe the very first figure at Hase-dera.) Ebisu is the god of commerce and fisherman, and well loved (he's always chunky and smiling.) There was a little boy there, maybe 3, with his mom, and she kept trying to get him to ring the prayer bell (I offered some 'you can do it!' pluck for him, but he mostly just stared at us. lol.) After saying hey (and throwing him some coins) my journey was over!
Next, it was back along the main road for some Kamakura cider (just the ginger ale type cider, nothing alcoholic, silly!) and a view of the ocean, up close and personal! There was a narrow beach just at the end of the main road, and I wandered along, admiring the towering, in some cases, 5 foot waves (some of the biggest I've ever seen, personally) and the surfers that would disappear and reappear among the swell. Even cooler, I got to spot some windsurfers, and I decided to trail a couple of em back to their base at the Salty Dog hangout for surfers. I talked to the head guy and got his card, and I hope to go back for a day of windsurfing lessons this summer! (hey, the prospect is much more exciting than skiing for me and like half the cost, if not less!) So that's something to look forward to this summer.
Finally, after a day of basking in the laid back atmosphere of Kamakura, it was time to board the streetcar back to Tokyo, and get ready for the real adventure, Thailand....!
Next up: A Tale of Thailand in 3 Parts