Our 144th entry in this blog is our trip to the famous Daibutsu of Kamakura. This is Ate Rei and Sai’s first time to visit the great buddha. The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 11.4 meters, it has long been the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, surpassed only by the statue in Nara’s Todaiji Temple and some recent creations.

Like the statue in Nara, the Daibutsu was originally housed inside a temple building after its casting in the 13th century. However, in the 14th and 15th centuries typhoons, tsunami and earthquakes kept destroying the hall. So, in 1498, the Amida’s carers caved in to the inevitable and left the statue exposed to the elements. Since then it has stood, implacable, the venerable symbol of Kamakura .

To the right of the Buddha hangs a pair of 1.8 meter-long warazori straw sandals. Originally woven by children in 1951 in the hope that the Buddha would use them to walk the length and breadth of Japan, they are renewed every three years by children from the same club. (japan.travel/en/spot/1588/).

I have visited here a number of times but I do not remember seeing the back part of the area. There are old houses as well and the details of these houses are amazing. You can just view it from outside as the old houses are not to be entered. The area is also surrounded by cherry trees and is perfect for spring visits.

The Kamakura Daibutsu sits in the grounds of Kotoku-in, a temple belonging to the Jodo Sect of Buddhism. The Jodo are committed to the liberation of all beings, meaning the Great Buddha is there for all: saints and sinners, rich and poor, young and old. An equal opportunities Buddha, guiding all to the Pure Land.

The entrance of this Great Buddha display is the richly colored gate where the temple’s two protecting Deva Kings reside. There are also some souvenir areas where lots of delicacies are found. Ate Rei and Sai are now quite tired from walking to get here in this Buddha. hehe. We will now go to Enoshima to see the beach and eat seafoods. Yay!