Traveling Info

Hase Temple is a temple of the Jodo sect, that is most famous for its statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The statue shows Kannon with eleven heads, each representing a characteristic of the goddess. The 9.18 meter tall, gilded wooden statue is regarded as the largest wooden sculpture in Japan, and can be viewed in the temple's main building. Visitors to Hase Temple can enjoy a great view of the coastal city of Kamakura from the terrace next to the temple's main buildings. There is also a small restaurant where Japanese sweets such as mitarashi dango, small rice flour dumplings covered with a sticky sauce made of sugar and soya sauce, other small meals and beverages are served. How to get there Hase Temple is located a 5 minute walk from the Enoden Railway Hase Station, the third station from Kamakura main station. The Enoden is a streetcar-like train that connects Kamakura with Enoshima and Fujisawa. Its terminal station in Kamakura is located just west of JR Kamakura Sta...

The Great Buddha of Kamakura, 高徳院, (Daibutsu in Japanese) is a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha in the city of Kamakura, Japan. Seated serenely in the grounds of Kotokuin, a Buddhist temple of the Pure Land sect, the Great Buddha is one of the icons of Japan. At 13.35 meters high and weighing 93 tons, the Daibutsu is the second largest monumental Buddha in Japan (after the one at Todaiji in Nara) and to many, the most impressive. The Diabutsu was cast in 1252 in the Kamakura period and was originally housed inside a temple as in Nara. But a huge tsunami washed away the wooden structure sometime in the late 15th century, and the statue has sat under sun, snow, and stars ever since. The Great Buddha is seated in the lotus position with his hands forming the Dhyani Mudra, the gesture of meditation. With a serene expression and a backdrop of wooded hills, the Daibutsu is a truly spectacular sight. The Daibutsu depicts Amida Buddha, who is the focus of Pure Land Buddhism. Or...