Last week I made my fourth excursion to Kamakura. I have taken a completely different route each time and still feel like I have much to explore and discover in this ancient capital of Japan.

We followed Yamaonna’s Kamakura Daibutsu Hiking Course 大仏ハイキングコース during the morning. I won’t repeat everything she said. Click the link for details.

We skipped Engakuji as I was just there at the end of November. Tokeiji (東慶寺), our first stop, was incredible. I’ll have more pictures from Tokeiji in future entries. The top picture in today’s entry is from there.

The trail itself was very cool and nearly empty. The second picture is of an “ordinary” house, and its fence, on the first part of the trail.

There are a few things I would add or change to Yamaonna’s write up of the Giant Buddha Hiking Course.

One is Jochiji’s admission fee, which has increase by 50 yen in the past few months to 200 yen. Strangely, the 200 yen sign looked very old. Maybe they change the price based on the season?

One item about the Daibutsu Hiking Course I would add is that there are views on this hike when you are near the top. The views to the right are of Mt. Fuji and those to the left are of the bay and the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, the morning was overcast and a bit hazy so we couldn’t see Mt. Fuji and could barely see the ocean when we sat down on the above, empty bench next to these four Japanese ladies.

If you aren’t tired after your walk and after visiting the Daibutsu, make sure to visit Hasedera if you haven’t before or if you aren’t planning on doing so on a future trip. From there you can jump on the train and go to Enoshima or you can walk the beach back most of the way to the Kamakura station, saving 250 yen and seeing much more than you can see from the train.

Also, a cheaper way to get to Kamakura is from Shibuya through Yokohama. Instead of the 780 or 890 yen quoted on Yamaonna’s blog, it is only 550 yen (although it takes a bit longer).

One final note, this hike can be very muddy if it has rained recently. It hadn’t rained in almost 48 hours but it was still muddy for us in places. I wouldn’t recommend this hike if it has rained in the past 24 hours.

Posted on March 11th, 2010 under Japan. Tags: buddhist, hiking, kamakura, people, tokeiji. Comments: None

As previously mentioned February and early March in Tokyo is the Japanese Plum Blossom season. We decided to try our first recommendation from A Flower Lover’s Guide to Tokyo by Sumiko Enbutsu, a book I’ll review in more detail in a future entry. So far, I have to say, I like this book.

We went on Walk #37, Keio Mogusa-en Garden. We arrived soon after opening on a sunny, warm, February morning. The train station was decked out in fake plum blossoms to advertise the ume matsuri (梅祭り) that happens from early February until mid-March. During this time period, Mogusaen is open every day, which is good since we were there on the day it is normally closed. The crowds weren’t bad, but things looked to be getting more crowded by the time we left.

Pretty much everyone had a camera. Mine was the smallest and lightest by far. Giant, crazy-expensive cameras are the norm at places like this in Japan. Retired couples (some in their 80s) seemed to be competing to see who could take the better picture with their enormous lenses and tripods both aimed at the same flower.

The ume tree above (寿昌梅) was planted in the early part of the 18th Century by a Buddhist nun called Jushoin (寿昌院). Little, bonsai (盆栽) ume trees surround the bamboo fence around it. Very cute.

Below you can see the thatched roof of the Shorenan (松連庵) farmhouse from the hill behind it. Things actually looked much better in person. It was such a bright day that the sun washed out my photos from this angle. I should have taken then with a quicker shutter speed. Even so, the sky wasn’t blue from this vantage point, even though it wasn’t cloudy. At a different time of day, with the sun not bleaching everything, this same photo may be spectacular.

This last picture may seem like your standard, point-your-camera-straight-up tree photo, but it isn’t. These trees were growing out of the mountain side horizontally.

I’ll have more from Keio Mogusaen, and our subsequent hike (on the same day) and adventures around the City of Hino (日野市), in a future entry.

Posted on March 6th, 2010 under Japan. Tags: book review, flower lovers guide to tokyo, guidebooks, hiking, thatch roof, ume. Comments: 1

A mere 370 yen train ride from Shinjuku lands you at the bottom of Mt. Takao. There are lots of ways to get up the mountain. We took the Inariyama Trail as our guidebook says it is the least crowded and includes nice views of Mt. Fuji. Neither was true on this day.

Our best views of Mt. Fuji were from the train on the way there and from the train on the way back. While we were hiking and when we ate lunch on the top of Mt. Takao, Mt. Fuji was mostly obscured by clouds. If you want a picture of Mt. Fuji and can see Mt. Fuji from the train (after Kitano Station) you may want to hop off at the Keio-Katakura Station (京王片倉駅) as there is a good view from the station platform (near the rear of the train). You can then get on the next train and your train fare won’t be any different, assuming you don’t exit the station.

I was amazed at the crowds. I figured few would be climbing Mount Takao in winter, on the last Wednesday of January no less. Not so. The trail was swarming with people and hundreds of people were on top of the mountain. I can’t imagine how crazy crowded it must be on a weekend or holiday during spring, summer, or fall.

Takaosan Yakuoin Yukiji Temple (高尾山薬王院有喜寺) was one of the nicer temples I’ve experienced. Don’t miss it if you are hiking Mt. Takao. We almost did.

The colorful flag/banner/hanging seemed to be on all of the Buddhist temples during January. They are gone now that February has arrived.

Posted on February 4th, 2010 under Japan. Tags: buddhist, hiking, Mt. Takao, temples, Tokyo. Comments: 1

The first thing I noticed when I made it to the Tama River on my walk was the airplane, apparently coming from (and/or going to) the Yokota Air Base, a few miles to the north.

The plane flew fairly low, was very loud, and was the first of many during the day. I wonder if the air traffic and noise pollution is like this every day for the nearby residents. Even though the occupation of Japan by the USA technically ended in 1952, this day in 2010 felt like Japan was still occupied with the constant fly overs.

As I followed the plane with my camera on its course to the base, I caught this image of the most litter I saw all day, next to the only sign I saw all day saying not to dump garbage. Perhaps less is more.

Posted on January 29th, 2010 under Japan. Tags: hiking, signs. Comments: None