Wednesday was the day we had set aside for traveling outside of Tokyo, to see the ancient temples and shrines that every tourist should see. My original plan had been to go to Nikko, but it turns out you need a car to get around there, and neither one of us has a Japanese driver's license. So we elected instead to go to Kamakura, which I had last visited almost exactly one year ago.
Hat-clad schoolgirls on a field trip to Kamakura. Adorable!
Our guide for the trip was Daisuke, a former student of mine from my Nova days and all-around cool guy. He hadn't been to Kamakura since childhood, so it was an adventure for him, too.
Oh, and ladies, he's single.
Our journey began on the Dankazura, the cherry-tree-lined pedestrian walkway that leads to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Kamakura's most famous sightseeing spot, and shrine to Hachiman, the Shinto god of war. The sun was blazing overhead; thank goodness for shaved-ice vendors. I munched on grape-flavored slush while Katherine pointed out turtles in the koi ponds.
Next, Daisuke recommended Zeniarai Benten, which we would never had found (or known about), since all the signs for it were in kanji. It was a bit of a hike, but well worth the effort. "Zeni" means "coin" in Japanese, and "Arai" means "wash." And indeed, the shrine features a small cavern whose fountain bestows good fortune on coins rinsed in its magical waters. Cave shrines like this one were one of Katherine's favorite experiences during her stay here in Japan. There's just nothing to compare them to back home.
Katherine washes her money and waits for the good fortune to roll in.
With our coins clean and shiny, we took a short taxi ride to the famed Big Buddha, which was just as impressive as the last time I saw it. Photos of the Daibutsu all look pretty much the same, but I did my best to capture the moment. Stay tuned for a cool desktop picture later this month.
The Buddha meditates in the afternoon sun.
Nearby Hase-dera was next. It was my second visit to this temple of Kannon with its renowned flower gardens, but for some reason I had never before noticed the tiny cave shrine devoted to Benzaiten, the goddess of wisdom and music. A long tunnel forces visitors to crouch before they reach her statue, which is surrounded by hundreds of tiny wooden idols. Visitor can purchase these idols, write a wish on the back, and try to nestle them into crevices where they can bask in the glory of their goddess. It's not as easy as it sounds, though. Virtually all the crevices have been taken.
From there, it was a quick train ride to Yokohama's famed Chinatown, which is a lot like San Francisco's Chinatown, only Chinesier. We wandered around for a while, looking for Daisuke's favorite, chili shrimp. Everywhere we went, barkers proclaimed the praises of their establishment's wares, which kind of cancels itself out after a few minutes. Besides, there were large photo-menus posted outside each restaurant, and every place serves virtually the same food anyway. Our stomachs grumbling, we made our choice and enjoyed a spectacular multicourse meal incorporating many tasty endangered species.
By now, the setting sun had brought the temperature down to warm-summer-night levels, so the three of us found our way to the waterfront and headed downtown along the shimmering neon waters. Small barges lit up with paper lanterns darted up and down Yokohama's riverbanks, and Daisuke explained that they were rentable "party boats"—essentially floating nightclubs.
They do look quite festive. Maybe for my next party...
Finally, weary and a little sunburned, we headed back to Ikebukuro, said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Looking back, it's still hard to believe we fit so much into one day. Not shown: cherry blossom road; Benzaiten grotto; shark-fin soup.