Archive for the ‘Enoshima Electric Railway’ Category
Sunday, July 2: Today, I invite my colleague Tobi to come along with me to Hasedera Temple, which is about a 7-minute walk from the Daibutsu, or the Big Buddha. He’s been wanting to go to the Daibutsu for a long time, but hasn’t done it for whatever reason. I’ve decided once more to try to do the hydrangea walk at Hasedera. I tell him we must get an early start because I don’t want to miss the hydrangea walk for the third time. I tried two times before, with no success. You can read about those botched attempts here and here.
Even though we live in the same apartment building, I have a bicycle and Tobi doesn’t, so we agree to meet at Fuchinobe Station at 7:30 a.m. After meeting and having a brief coffee, we get on the train to Kamakura. On the train, we sit across from this lady carrying a huge bouquet. Tobi takes a great photo of her and allows me to share it.
on the Yokohama Line – photo by Tobias Manthey
Upon arriving at Kamakura Station, rather than pack ourselves like sardines into that ever-crowded Enoden Line, we hire a taxi for 800 yen to take us directly to Hasedera. By the time we arrive, it’s nearly 10:00. We get our timed tickets for the hydrangea walk and find, much to our surprise, that the wait is only about 45 minutes!
floating iris garden at Hasedera
We check out the Benten-kutsu Cave while we wait. It is here at this cave that Benzaiten and her followers of Sixteen Children are chiseled out of the rock walls. Benzaiten is the Goddess of water and wealth, and the only female among the Seven Japanese Gods of Fortune.
outside the Benten-kutsu Cave
inside the Benten-kutsu Cave
ema at the Benten-kutsu Cave
Benten-do Hall is next to Hojo-ike pond. It houses the statue of Benzaiten with eight arms.
Benten-do Hall
We make our way up the hill, past the pond and iris garden.
pond and iris garden at Hasedera
About halfway up the hill, we stop at Jizo-do Hall, where Fukujyu is enshrined. Here, visitors can pray for easy childbirth and prosperity. Surrounding the hall are thousands of little Jizo statutes standing in long rows. The statues are there to comfort the souls of miscarried and deceased children. Jizo is a Buddhist saint who saves people and is especially believed to protect children.
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall – Photo by Tobias Manthey
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
Jizo statues at Jizo-do Hall
At the top of the hill, we find the Kannon-do Hall, which houses the fabulous statue of Hase Kannon. Although Kannon is often described in English as “the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy,” it is, strictly speaking, neither masculine nor feminine. Sadly, no photography is allowed.
Kannon-do Hall
incense burner at Kannon-do Hall
We stop to admire the hazy view of Yuigahama and Zaimokuza Beaches, as well as Sagami Bay, from the Observation Platform. We can see the Zushi Marina and the Miura Peninsula in the distance. It’s very hot and humid today.
View of Yuigahama and Zaimokuza Beaches and Sagami Bay from the Observation Platform
garden near the hydrangea walk entrance
garden near Kannon-do Hall
Buddha footprints – Photo by Tobias Manthey
Buddha footprints
The hydrangea walk begins near the Observation Platform, and now, at 10:45, we show our tickets and get into the line. Luckily, the line is not nearly as long as it’s been the last couple of times I’ve been here.
map of the hydrangea walk
hillsides covered in hydrangea
hydrangea hills
As we walk up the hill of the hydrangea walk, sweat is pouring off of me. It’s such miserable weather today!
view from the hydrangea walk
multi-armed statue
hydrangea
view of Sagami Bay from the hydrangea walk at Hasedera
view of Sagami Bay from the hydrangea walk at Hasedera
I’m finally able to have someone take a picture of me, and my hair looks horrible because of the straightening I had done yesterday. It’s so flat! I’m never allowed to wash my hair for two days after straightening, and after sleeping on it all night, it looks awful. 😦 Oh well, at least periodically, I like to prove I actually was in Japan. 🙂
me on the hydrangea walk
gardens on the hydrangea walk
hydrangea – Photo by Tobias Manthey
We continue on the hydrangea walk, admiring the views, the plethora of hydrangeas, and the stone lanterns.
stone lantern among the hydrangeas
lantern amidst white hydrangeas
view over Sagami Bay
view over Sagami Bay
Japanese lady in yukata
hydrangea heaven
from a bygone era
hydrangea
Back at the bottom of the hill, near the exit to the hydrangea walk, I find this lineup of Buddhist deities.
Buddha statues
stone lantern
In the Kyozo (space for storing Buddhist scriptures), there is a rotary bookshelf called a Rinzo. It is believed that when you rotate the Rinzo once, you will receive the same virtue as when you recite the complete scriptures. There are also 18 prayer wheels called Mani-guruma which you can turn to receive virtue such as that from the Rinzo.
Rinzo- a rotary bookshelf
looking back up at the hillside
the hillside above
a rock garden with stone lantern
We go inside of Kannon-do, where we admire the amazing Kannon statue, at 30.1 feet (9.18 meters), one of the largest wooden Buddhist statues in Japan. It has eleven heads in addition to its main one: three on the front, the right, the left, one at the top and another on the back. Each face has a different expression, signifying that the Kannon listens to the wishes of all types of people and leads them away from distress. Hase Kannon holds a vase with lotus flowers in its left hand and is unique in that it holds a staff instead of prayer beads in its right. It stands on a stone-like base instead of a lotus flower like most eleven-headed Kannon statues. It really is amazing to see, and I’m sorry that I’m not allowed to take a picture of it. 😦
The Sho-Kannon Bosatsu is one of the most beloved deities from old times in Japan. Kannon is known for its mercy and compassion such as a mother’s affection. It is believed that Kannon will immediately appear to those who seek salvation in this realm. Created by the late Mr. Seibou Kitamura, the statue is enshrined here as a symbol of peace.
statue of Sho-Kannon Bosatsu
Next to Kannon-do is Amida-do Hall, where the golden seated statue of Amida Nyorai, one of Kamakura’s six principal statues of Amida Buddha, is enshrined. According to legend, in 1194, Minamoto no Yoritomo, who was the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan, commissioned the statue for warding off evil. In later years, people came to believe it would expel evil spirits and offer protection against misfortune.
statue of Amida Nyorai
ema at Hasedera
ema at Hasedera
The Shoro Belfry was constructed in 1955 to house a massive bronze bell, created in 1264 and recast in 1984. Following the Buddhist tradition, the bell is run 108 times around midnight on New Year’s Eve to dispel the 108 sufferings of humanity.
Shoro Belfry
This shrine was rebranded Inari-sha in later years, although it was originally dedicated to “Kojin” (god of the cooking stove and fire). According to the legend of the Kannon statue, the deity appeared floating on the sea, drifting ashore by the guidance of “kakigara” (oyster shells) attached to the statue. This Inari-sha was established to enshrine the Kakigara and to receive the divine guidance of Kannon.
Inari-sha (Kakigara Inari)
“kakigara” (oyster shells)
Inari-sha (Kakigara Inari)
“kakigara” (oyster shells)
“kakigara” (oyster shells)
Near the Benten-do Hall and Benten-kutsu Cave is a pretty rock garden.
rock garden at Hasedera
The Japanese rock garden (枯山水 karesansui) or “dry landscape” garden, often called a zen garden, creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water (Wikipedia: Japanese rock garden).
rock garden at Hasedera
rock garden at Hasedera
Near Benten-do Hall, one can pick up a fortune which appears blank; the fortune appears when placed in a concrete water bowl much like a bird bath. My friend Yukie from Instagram later translates my fortune for me: I have moderate luck (chu-kichi). In different categories, my fortune is such: Romantic relationships: Being kind to others will bring you happiness. Learning: Go back to your basics again! Health: You should relax with aromatherapy tonight! Your work: Be more careful than usual. One step at a time.
It’s funny about the work fortune, because at work, the university barely turns on any air conditioning, making the work situation unbearable. It’s miserably hot and humid in Japan, and I’m not tolerating it well. I am about to explode over the situation, and have even seriously considered hopping on a plane and going home! So, the admonition to “be more careful than usual. One step at a time” is an appropriate warning for me to calm down about the situation. 🙂
my fortune for today
Daikoku-do Hall houses the statue of Daikokuten.
inside Daikoku-do Hall
Daikokuten is one of the Seven Japanese Gods of Fortune. He is considered the god of wealth (or more specifically, the harvest), or of the household, particularly the kitchen. He is often prayed to for an abundant harvest, success in life and business. Recognized by his wide face and beaming smile, he is often portrayed holding a golden mallet and standing or sitting on bales of rice (Must Love Japan: Hasedera Temple). People are allowed to touch this “Sawari Daikoku” to receive good fortune.
statue of Daikokuten
By the time Tobi and I leave Hasedera, it’s 11:40, and we walk down the street toward the Daibutsu, which I’ll now see for the second time. 🙂 We stop in one of the shops for an ice cream treat, and then we’re on our way.
(All information about Hasedera is from the temple’s tourist brochure, unless otherwise stated).
Saturday, June 17: It’s 2:15 by the time I arrive at Hasedera. As I walk through the gate, I’m given a ticket with a number on it for the hydrangea walk. I ask, “About how long is the wait?” The young man tells me, with a pained look on his face, that it will be about 3 hours. He says, “But you can leave and go do something else, and come back later if you like.”
I can’t believe it. I have come all the way back to Hasedera at what I thought was a reasonable hour, and now I have to wait 3 hours. What will I do for 3 hours? If I had known the wait would be this long, I would have come directly here, gotten the ticket, and then gone back to see the Great Buddha. But now, I’ve seen the Great Buddha, and I even enjoyed an ice cream, and now there is nothing more of interest to do in this area. I’m hot, tired and sweaty and I don’t want to waste all that time sitting around doing nothing. Feeling defeated, I take a quick walk around the temple grounds while I ponder what to do.
I already attempted to do the hydrangea walk at Hasedera last Saturday, on June 10, and wrote about the temple here: a hopeful trip to hasedera (attempt #1): too late for the hydrangea walk 😦 There isn’t much point to me going over the historical details of this temple again, so if you’d like to know more, feel free to check out my previous post. 🙂
gate at Hasedera
I stroll around the grounds, enjoying the stone lanterns and the iris pond, the Buddha and Jizo figures, the scattered hydrangeas, and the main hall.
pond at Hasedera
a line of holy characters
hydrangea
iris gardens in the pond
iris pond
hydrangea
Jizo statues
Jizo statues
Fukujyu Jizo
When I get to the top of the hill near the main hall, I find, once again, the cute Buddha footprints in a bowl of water.
Buddha footprints
I can also see the queue to the hydrangea walk, which I will have to wait 3 hours to join!
the queue for the hydrangea walk
The saving grace to this visit to Hasedera is the clear view over Sagami Bay. The view is better than it was the first time I was here.
view over Sagami Bay from Hasedera
view over Sagami Bay from Hasedera
view over Sagami Bay from Hasedera
At Kannon-dō, the Main hall, people are sprawled out all over the steps. I can only assume they’re waiting for their turn to enter the queue for the hydrangea walk.
Kannon-dō (Main hall)
Kannon-dō (Main hall)
Kannon-dō (Main hall)
I’m certainly not going to sit around on the steps at Hasedera’s Main Hall for 3 hours! I originally had in mind to visit another temple in Kamakura proper, Myōhonji, which supposedly has some beautiful mossy steps. My Instagram friend Yukie posted some pictures of the steps and I was hoping to visit the temple after leaving Hasedera. Since I have three hours to wait, I decide I will go to Kamakura proper, visit the temple, and if I have enough energy, I’ll return by 5:00.
I realize as soon as I arrive at Hase Station that the Enoden, or Enoshima Electric Railway, will again be a challenge. The station platform is packed. I wait in the sweltering heat with the always-patient Japanese. Finally, the train arrives, already packed. A few people from the platform are able to get on the train. I have to wait another 10 minutes for the next train, and this time, I am the last one to get on the train and the doors can barely close as I hold my breath to pull my nose out of the doors’ trajectory.
When I get to Kamakura, I walk toward Myōhonji, making a brief stop at Daigyoji Temple to admire the hydrangeas in the garden. As if I haven’t seen enough hydrangeas today!
entrance to Daigyoji Temple
hydrangea at Daigyoji Temple
hydrangea at Daigyoji Temple
hydrangea at Daigyoji Temple
hydrangea at Daigyoji Temple
hydrangea at Daigyoji Temple
I continue to Myōhonji Temple in search of those mossy steps. 🙂
Saturday, June 10: After leaving Enoshima at 3:30, I debate whether I should try to go to Kamakura’s Hasedera Temple to see the hydrangea. I’m so close, or so I think, that I should be able to squeeze it in while I’m here in the south of Kamakura. I’m already tired from my walk all around Enoshima, but, in a foolhardy last-minute decision, I decide I’ll “hop” on the Enoden Line and go for it.
The Enoden, or Enoshima Electric Railway, is a 10km long private railway that connects Kamakura Station in Kamakura with Fujisawa Station. The line is single-track; however, five of the route’s fifteen stations are equipped with passing loops, allowing for bi-directional traffic. Stations en route include Hase, the stop closest to Kōtoku-in (高徳院), the temple with the Great Buddha, or the Daibutsu (大仏). It’s also very close to Hasedera Temple, known for its eleven-headed Hase Kannon Buddhist statue and its abundance of hydrangea in June.
Enoshima Station on the Enoden Line
Little do I know how much of a hassle it will be taking the Enoden Line. Though it is considered a charming mode of transportation, it is not so charming when hordes of people are trying to take it. The trains run infrequently, have a small number of cars, and run on a single track line. All of these factors, combined with huge crowds attempting to visit the hydrangea in Kamakura, make it frustrating and claustrophobic. Crowds are packed on the platform and when the train comes, people pack into the trains so tightly, it is difficult to move or breathe. I am the last to squeeze onto the train and my nose is almost caught by the closing doors! The people standing behind me are left on the platform to wait for another train. Only a smattering of those people will be able to get on the next train.
I arrive at Hasedera after 4:15, which is rather short-sighted as most Buddhist temples close at 4:30 or 5:00. I don’t know when I first enter the temple grounds that there is a special ticket one has to get to do the “hydrangea walk.” I meander around the grounds, admiring the few hydrangea near the bottom of the hill, along with the pretty ponds and gardens.
water garden at hasedera
water garden at hasedera
hasedera gardens
a stone lantern and pond at Hasedera
Hydrangea at Hasedera
figures at Hasedera
iris blooming at Hasedera
After wandering around the ground level gardens for a while, I follow some people up the steps to the small Jizo-do Hall. This small building enshrines Fukujyu Jizo. Here, visitors can pray for easy childbirth and prosperity. Surrounding the hall are thousands of little Jizo statues standing in long rows. The statues are there to comfort the souls of miscarried and deceased children. Jizo is a Buddhist saint who saves people and is believed to protect children.
little shrine
small Jizō statues at Hasedera
small Jizō statues at Hasedera
small Jizō statues at Hasedera
incense burner at Hasedera
After admiring all the Jizo, I continue up the steps until I come to the Kannon-do Hall. The statue of Hase Kannon is housed here. It is 9.18 meters (30.1 ft.) tall and is one of the largest wooden Buddhist statues in Japan. It has eleven heads in addition to its main one: three on the front, the right, the left, one at the top and another on the back. Each face has a different expression, signifying that the Kannon listens to the wishes of all types of people and leads them away from distress.
According to legend, in 721 AD, the pious monk Tokudo Shonin discovered a sacred large camphor tree near the village of Hase in the Nara region. He commissioned two sculptors to carve two eleven-headed Kannon statues. The statue carved from the lower part of the trunk was enshrined in Hasedera Temple in Nara, and the statue from the upper half was thrown into the sea with a prayer that it would reappear to save the people.
Fifteen years later, on the night of 18 June 736, it washed ashore at the Nagai Beach on the Miura Peninsula not far from Kamakura, sending out rays of light in the process. The statue was then brought to Kamakura and a temple was constructed to honor it.
Kannon-dō (Main hall) at Hasedera
Although Kannon is usually described in English as “the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy,” strictly speaking it is neither masculine or feminine. Kannon is a future Buddha, destined for enlightenment, who has vowed to save all sensitive beings and represents compassion, mercy and love. Sadly, no photography is allowed inside the hall.
Next to Kannon-do is Amida-do Hall, where the golden seated statue of Amida Nyorai, one of Kamakura’s six principal statues of Amida Buddha is enshrined.
Amida-do Hall
The Amida statue is 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) in height, not including its large halo. According to legend, in 1194, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan, commissioned the statue for warding off evil. In later years, people came to believe it would expel evil spirits and offer protection against misfortune.
Amida Nyorai
To the right of Amida-do, there is a massive bronze bell. The Shoro Belfry was constructed in 1955 and the current bell was cast in 1984. The original bell, which was cast in 1264 (currently exhibited in the museum), is the oldest artifact where the title of Hasedera can be recognized. It is the third oldest bell among Kamakura’s temples.
Following the Buddhist tradition, the bell is rung 108 times around midnight on New Year’s Eve to dispel the 108 sufferings of humanity. This ritual is called Joya no Kane.
bell tower
The enshrined deity at Inari-Sha (Kakigara Inari) was initially dedicated to “Kojin” (god of the cooking stove and fire). The shrine was rebranded as Inari-sha in later years. According to the legend surrounding the history of the Kannon statue, it appeared floating on the sea, drifting ashore with the guidance of “kakigara” (oyster shells) attached to the statue. This Inari-sha was established to enshrine the Kakigara and to receive the divine guidance of Kannon.
Inari-sha (Kakigara Inari)
oyster shell wishes
holy place
ema at Hasedera
I see a sign for Ajisai, which means hydrangea in English, to the left side of Kannon-do. The sign tells something in Japanese about the Ajisai Garden, which has around 2,500 hydrangea of 40 different species planted on its grounds. On the steps of Kannon-do, I see people lounging around on the steps. It’s surprising, as this is rarely seen at Buddhist temples. In a small courtyard, a large crowd stands in a cordoned queue.
I try to walk into the entrance to join the queue, but the man there asks for my numbered ticket. I don’t have a numbered ticket. He says if I entered Hasedera after 4:00, it was too late to get a numbered ticket, and thus it is impossible to go on the hydrangea walk today.
Later, I realize that those people lounging on the steps were waiting for their number to be called for the Ajisai.
I have come all this way to be met with disappointment, as far as the hydrangea are concerned. Still, Hasedera is a magnificent temple, so I try to make the best of it despite being tired from walking all around Enoshima earlier today. At this point, I determine that I will come back another day; after all, I still have yet to see the Daibutsu, the Big Buddha, just a 5-minute walk from Hasedera. I will have to arrive here earlier in order to get in the queue for the hydrangea walk.
This is the problem with being a foreigner in Japan, or in any country for that matter. Since we don’t know the language, we’re often out of the loop in matters such as these. For example, I came all this way without knowing that I had to get a timed ticket for the hydrangea walk. I thought I could just go to Hasedera and walk around the grounds and see the hydrangea.
Kannon-dō (Main hall) at Hasedera
Near the courtyard are some adorable Bussokuseki, footprints of the Gautama Buddha. There are two forms: natural, as found in stone or rock, and those made artificially. These are floating in a stone bowl.
Buddha’s footprints
garden of delight
Buddha’s footprints
Hasedera
In the Kyozo (space for storing Buddhist scriptures), there is a rotary bookshelf called a Rinzo. It is believed that when you rotate the Rinzo once, you will receive the same virtue as when you recite the complete scriptures. There are also eighteen prayer wheels called Mani-guruma which you can turn to receive virtue such as that from the Rinzo.
Kyozo
For people like me who can’t walk up the hill for the hydrangea walk, we can observe the people walking up the hill from a bamboo grove near the Kyozo.
bamboo grove at Hasedera
mini garden at Hasedera
From below, we can see the people who were fortunate enough to go on the hydrangea walk today. It seems the hydrangea have some blooming ahead, so I’m sure I will see them one of the weekends in June.
the hill of hydrangeas – off limits today 😦
stone lantern
On the far side of the upper level is an observation platform overlooking the Yuigahama and Zaimokuza Beaches as well as Sagami Bay with the Sushi Marina and the Miura Peninsula in the distance. Luckily it’s a clear day today, so I have a fantastic view.
view of Sagami Bay from Hasedera
view from Hasedera
Kannon-dō (Main hall)
I head back down the steps and walk back through the pretty gardens to get to the exit.
carp pond
pathway
pond at Hasedera
pond at Hasedera
Before I leave, I take a slight detour to visit the Benten-kutsu Cave, where Benzaiten, the Goddess of water and wealth, and her followers of Sixteen Children are chiseled out of the rock walls. Benzaiten is the only female among the Seven Japanese Gods of Fortune.
little Buddha
torii leading to the cave, called benten kutsu (Benzaiten Grotto)
Benzaiten Grotto
ema at Benzaiten Grotto
pond at Hasedera
gardens at Hasedera
small shrine at Hasedera
By the time I leave Hasedera, it’s 5:20. As I wander down the main street, I find a small temple tucked into a short path off the street. Here, I find some gorgeous hydrangea.
hydrangeas
rich blooms
hydrangeas
pretty in pink
white blooms
leafy wonders
hydrangea heaven
blooms
pretty blooms
hydrangeas on the verge
buds and blossoms
pretties
hydrangeas
The main street where Hasedera sits also leads to the Big Buddha, but I know the temple will be closed by this time, so I don’t bother. I have a plan to walk the Daibutsu hiking trail from Kita-Kamakura one day soon, ending up at the Big Buddha. I will try to do the whole hike one day in June: the Daibutsu trail leading to the Big Buddha and then a return to Hasedera for the hydrangea walk.
On the street back to Hase Station, I stop in at some souvenir shops with some interesting flip-flops and seashell wind chimes.
fish flip flops
Japanese themed flip flops
sea shells wind chimes
Finally, I’m back at the Enoden Line, where the trains are so packed, I can’t even make it on to the first train that stops and I have to wait another 10 minutes or so for the next train. At that time, I pack onto the train with hundreds of mainly Japanese, and some foreign, tourists. It’s amazing to me how the Japanese never seem to be flustered by anything. Despite frustrations and inconveniences, long queues, crowds, heat and humidity, they simply soldier through. My students tell me most Japanese people don’t have any religion, yet I see Japanese people actively worshipping at every Buddhist temple and I see it in their acceptance of life as it is; as this is a core Buddhist teaching, I find it hard to believe they don’t have any religion or faith.
the Enoden Line
All information about Hasedera is from an English brochure created by Hasedera Temple (Hase Kannon).
Total steps today: 21,082 (8.93 miles). Thank goodness the weather wasn’t too hot and there was a nice strong wind!
catbird in japan 