Whenever a friend from abroad comes to Tokyo, I recommend to take a day or two to visit Kamakura. It is an old area in the Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. There was a shogunate government called the "Kamakura Bakufu" (1192-1333) around this area. Secured with mountains on three sides and the sea on the south, it was said to be a natural fortress. There are many temples in this area, they mey not be beautiful like churches, but are sublime and peaceful, a beauty of simplicity. The temples of Kamakura have a taste of ZEN Buddhism because ZEN came into Japan during this period and was a boom among the Samurais of Kamakura.
I visited Enkaku-ji Temple at Kita-Kamakura Station on Sunday with my business partner Naomi, saw the Shari-den (meditation room) which was luckily open to the public for Culture Day, and had some tea at a nearby cafe. Refreshing and inspiring. You can take the Shonan-Shinjuku / Yokosuka Line from cetral Tokyo. It is about an hour ride from Shinjuku and other major stations. If you are staying in Tokyo for a while, definately, Kamakura is a place you don't want to miss out!↓Vote for us!
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