Our Day Trip to Kamakura - Great Buddha, Engakuji Temple, Meigetsuin Temple, Kenchoji Temple

This is the seventh vlog of our trip Visiting Tokyo Japan in September 2015 and features Engakuji Temple, the Great Daibutsu and the beaches of Kamakura . Kamakura (鎌倉) is a coastal town an hour south of Tokyo. It was once the political centre of Japan. Today the small town of Kamakura is a very popular tourist destination. Also know as the Kyoto of the East, it offers numerous temples, shrines and monuments to its visitors. In order to get to Kamakura head to Tokyo station and board the JR Yokosuka Line. A one-way trip costs 920 yen (currently 5£). Along the way, the train will stop at Shinagawa station, Yokohama Station and Kita-Kamakura. Alight the train at Kita-Kamakura and then head south to Kamakura, popping into as many temples as you like on the way. ENGAKUJI TEMPLE Engakuji is the second largest Zen Temple Complex in Kamakura and a leading Zen temple in Eastern Japan. The Temple was built to honour the fallen Japanese and Mongolian soldiers of the Mongolian invasion. Engakuji was built into the sloping hills of Kita-Kamakura’s surrounding forest. Within the Temple complex lies Shariden Hall, where a tooth of Buddha is said to have been enshrined. Admission to the Engakuji Temple will set you back 300 yen. MEIGETSUIN TEMPLE Meigetsuin Temple (明月院) is also known as Ajisaidera, the Hydrangea Temple. Hydrangeas, especially the Hime Ajisai variety, bloom in abundance in the Temple’s surrounding grounds. The temple was originally built by a son to commemorate his belated father. It later became part of the larger Temple Complex called Zenkoji. Within the Temple grounds lies its main Hall. A beautifully designed circular window frames the scenery of the inner garden that lies behind. Known for its irises, the inner garden is only open to visitors in June and late November. Admission to the Meigetsuin temple costs 300 yen. KENCHOJI TEMPLE Kenchoji is the most elaborate of Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. It is also the oldest. Kenchoji is a large Temple complex that stretches far into the forested hills of Kamakura and consists of a large number of temples and sub-temples. The Kenchoji Temple Bell Bonsho has been designated a national treasure in its own right. Behind the Butsuden Hall lies the largest wooden Temple building in eastern Japan. It houses a statue of Kannon and features a beautifully painted ceiling. THE KAMAKURA DAIBUTSU The Daibutsu, Great Buddha of Kamakura sits on the grounds of the Kotokuin Temple. Kamakura is probably most famous for this large bronze Statue. At a height of 13.35 meters, the Kamakura Daibutsu is Japan’s second tallest bronze Buddha, surpassed only by the Daibutsu of Nara. Whilst the temple and its grounds were destroyed multiple times by Typhoons and Tidal Waves, the Daibutsu, built in 1252, has survived until today. If you arrive before 5pm, you can enter this great statue to view the inside of the Great Daibutsu. The video was filmed in September 2015 CATCH-UP On the other vlogs of this series