Our Thanksgiving in Tokyo I

My girlfriend Edie and I spent the week of Thanksgiving in Tokyo and its environs, visiting old friends and generally hanging out. This first shot is of the Kamakura Daibutsu, or Great Buddha. We spent a day visiting it and several temples and shrines in the area. Kamakura is a seaside town about an hour south of Tokyo. It was the capital of Japan from 1185-1333.


Here's Edie in front of the main gate of Engaku-ji, one of the five Rinzai Zen buddhist temples in the Kamakura area. It was founded in 1282, as a place for Zen monks to pray for soldiers who died defending Japan from Kublai Khan's attempt to invade the islands.


Some high school students wanted a picture with me at Engaku-ji. All throughout the day, Edie and I were treated like celebrities, largely by students from the countryside who were visiting the temples on school trips that wanted to practice their English.


Edie contemplating a Buddha at Tokei-ji temple. Historically, it is known for serving as a woman's refuge; after 3 years as a nun, a woman was recognized as being fully divorced.


Here's me at Jochi-ji temple, rubbing the belly of the Buddha. He even had his own cave among the headstones.


The Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shinto shrine is the central shrine of Kamakura. It was founded by Minamoto Yoriyoshi of the clan that ruled Japan from Kamakura. Hachiman is generally regarded as a god of war, but some insist that it was merely the Minamoto family deity.


The main tori of the shrine, the path leading up to it having extended through the center of the town, all the way from the seaside.



Edie at the Daibutsu, which we visited last before leaving Kamakura to head back up to Tokyo.



Me paying my respects.

More photos are to come of my friends and places in Tokyo. Right now we're still recovering from the wonderful, 18 hour trip back.