Kamakura and Yokohama from Tokyo

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Day 15: TOKYO - KAMAKURA: Engaku-ji, Tokeiji, Jochi-ji, Kencho-ji, Tsurugaoka, Desidera YOKOHAMA: Minato Minari 21

Friday, January 03, 2014

Today we get up in our hotel in Tokyo knowing that we are going to do the last "excursion" of our trip to Japan. Today it is time to make two of the most famous visits from the capital of Japan: Kamakura and Yokohama from Tokyo.
We do it at 6.30 in the morning and after breakfast we go to our nearest JR subway station that is Shin Nihombashi and we have 5 minutes from Hotel Horidome Villa.
Today we have a complete day and that is why we will know Kamakura and Yokohama from Tokyo.
From here, with the Yokosuka-Sobu Line Rapid line, we will arrive in about 50 minutes to Kamakurapassing by Yokohama Where we will return this afternoon to spend the last hours of the day.
A good and comfortable option to visit Kamakura and Yokohama is to book this guided tour in Spanish, where they will pick you up at the hotel.


So we prepare to make a long journey by subway, this time standing, because the subway at this time is collapsed.
After a few minutes of standing, we got a couple of seats, we sat down and enjoyed the trip as 99% of Japanese do: sleeping!
We got off at the Kita Kamakura station, to make the Kamakura visits with a logical sense and start at the temple Engaku-ji, which is just leaving the train station.
We pay 300 yen per head, we buy some coffees to warm up on a day that is cool for now and there we go to the first visit of the day.


Having a coffee before entering Engaku-ji in Kamakura

Engaku-ji in Kamakura

Engaku-ji It is one of the five main Zen temples Rinzai of Kamakura.


Engaku-ji entrance

It is believed that Engaku-ji It was founded in 1282 so that Zen monks could pray for the soldiers who gave their lives defending Japan Kublai Khan front.


Engaku-ji the day we will visit Kamakura and Yokohama from Tokyo

Currently, the only royal vestige of the ancient splendor and antiquity of the temple at the gate of Sanmon, a reconstruction of 1780.


Engaku-ji

Details we can find in Engaku-ji

At the top of the long flight of stairs that crosses the door is the bell of Engaku-ji, the largest of Kamakura, cast in 1301.


Engaku-ji

Engaku-ji enclosure

The Hondo or main hall inside San-mon is a recent reconstruction, from the mid-sixties.
We left Engaku-ji past 9 in the morning and we follow the path towards Tokeiji for which we have to cross the train tracks.
The walk is very pleasant and we reach our destination in less than 5 minutes.


You want a drink? Beverage machines in Kamakura

We climb some stairs that separate us from the entrance to the enclosure and pay 200 yen per person in a little box that is at the entrance, since there is no one to charge or the tickets.
Upon entering Tokei-ji We are left with our mouths open and the first thing that comes to mind is how impressive it should be in spring, with cherry blossoms.


Tokei-ji

Tokei-ji It stands out for both its lush grounds and the temple itself.


Tokei-ji

Historically, the temple was famous for having served as a refuge for women. You could officially recognize that a woman was divorced after spending three years as a nun in the temple grounds.


Tokei-ji

If now in winter with bare trees it is spectacular, we do not even want to imagine what it will be like in spring or autumn.
It's amazing the peace that you breathe in Tokeiji.
As we have said on several occasions, it is clear that coming at this time has its positive part and is to see the atmosphere of the biggest holiday in the country and another negative, which is not being able to visit the sites with the tranquility that we are used to traveling Normally in the low season and in some ways, in recent days in Tokyo we had lost.
To who Kamakura We have felt again that peace we had lost these days ago.
We have not more than 3 hours in Kamakura, but we can already say that we have fallen in love. We are very clear that today, dedicated to Kamakura and Yokohama from Tokyo, we will not easily forget it.

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After the brief visit to Tokeiji, we follow the road and arrive at Jochi-ji where we pay 200 yen per person at the entrance.
It is incredible the sensation of finding ourselves in an enclave in the middle of a forest, breathing a peace impossible to explain.
Since Jochi-ji, we follow the road and cross the train track in the direction of Kencho-ji where we arrived in another 5 minutes walking.
We pay 300 yen per person and admire one of the most special temples, the Kamakura's most important Zen temple.


Kencho-ji

Kencho-ji It is the most important of the five great Zen temples.


Kencho-ji

Kencho-ji, founded in 1253, originally encompasses 7 buildings and 49 sub-temples, many of which were destroyed in the fires of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw its restoration and its splendor is still palpable.


Kencho-ji

Today, Kencho-ji It works as a monastery with 10 subtemples.


Kencho-ji

Kencho-ji

We follow the road and arrive at Tsurugaoka, where when they arrive at the entrance they tell us that we have to keep going down and turn left to find the access door.


Restaurant with a “special name” in Kamakura

This initially confuses us a bit, but when we are surrounded by people we guess why ...


Tsurugaoka

They are celebrating the new year and as expected, it is full of people.


Is someone missing to come? Tsurugaoka

And how could it be otherwise, in this celebration could not miss the food stalls, in which we took the opportunity to buy some cheese sticks for 500 yen ... great!


Killing Hunger in Tsurugaoka

After a few minutes enjoying the cuisine we have in front of us, we approach the entrance of Tsurugaoka, where it is impossible to enter through the queue at the moment, so we decided to go back on our steps and go to the train station.


Queues to access Tsurugaoka

On the way we stopped at several craft stores and bought a couple of sweets for 50 yen each, to kill the bug until lunchtime.
We cross the Takamiya street that is bursting with people, souvenir shops, food stores ...
We weren't planning to find such a festive atmosphere in Kamakura and the truth is that we like it a lot.
The truth is that we are not overwhelming here, despite not being able to enter Tsurugaoka.
But since there are no "two without three", Kamakura stop being nice when we arrive at the train station and we find that Japan is here!


Kamakura Station

Once inside, they tell us that we have to get the tickets outside, so we have to go back to the entrance, to get the tickets for 190 yen each, for the train that will take us to the Hase Station where the two visits are we have left to do in Kamakura.


Kamakura Station

At this point we have to say that perhaps we had the wrong concept of Japanese crowds. We thought that as in their daily life, they would be respectful in these cases, but no, in the crowds keep in mind that you will not get rid of a push even by chance.
This is not good to generalize, so we rectify and we will say that we have been touched by some discarded fellow carriages 😉
And after several pushes to enter and settle in a little hole, we begin the journey of the electric meter that will take us to Hase.
After 3 stops we arrive and in less than 5 minutes we are at the entrance of the temple Hase-Dera Temple, where we pay 300 yen each and as soon as we enter we see the exceptionality of what we have in front of us.


Hase-Dera Temple

The Hase-Dera Temple It is one of the most visited temples in the Kanto region and is also known as Hase Kannon.
The walls of the stairs that go up to the main hall are full of Jizo statues, lined up like a small army of children, many of them dressed to keep them warm.


Jizo statues in the Hase-Dera Temple

Details of the Hase-Dera Temple

Details of the Hase-Dera Temple

Jizo statues are quite charming if they are named as patron of travelers, although they are also of deceased children and some figures were put by women who lost their children after climbing an abortion.


Hase-Dera Temple

Details of the Hase-Dera Temple

At the center of attention of the main hall of the temple is the statue of Kannon, the goddess of godliness.


Hase-Dera Temple

Details of the Hase-Dera Temple

Hase-Dera Temple

After 1 noon, we leave Hase-Dera Temple with the impression of having seen one of the best temples since we arrived at Japan.


Views of Kamakura from the Hase-Dera Temple

Hase-Dera Temple

Hase-Dera Temple

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- Guided tour of Tokyo
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And now it is time to find a place to fill the stomach, but the truth is that in this area we have not seen any restaurant, so we have to continue down the street, until we find a kebab where we see that we have room for Sit down and we don't think much more.
We ordered two kebab plus coke and water for 1200 yen and we rested for a while in a most pleasant atmosphere, with a Turk who enlivened us by talking to us in Spanish.


Eating in Kamakura

After this half hour charging energy, we go to the Great Buddha of Kamakura,in the Kōtoku-in Temple which is less than 5 minutes walk.
We pay 200 yen per person to enter and we face another of the essential visits in Japan.


Kōtoku-in Temple

We had read that if you've been to Nara before, it doesn't impress so much, but the truth is that we've been more impressed if possible.
From experience we have to say that if the two visits can be made, neither of them is obvious, thinking that because they are “Giant Buddhas”, they will be the same.
We are approaching quietly to the area of Great Buddha of Kamakura, immersed, why not say it in that atmosphere of relaxation and peace that these places give, when, after a trip without seeing "tourist abnormalities", we see a small group in front of the Great Buddha, of course in a disrespectful way, doing the photos cap that only an "abnormal" could do in such a place ... We regret the expressions, but there are things, as much as we see them or try to understand them, they totally leave our logic as people, who first of all, want to respect the where they are
And you look at the chance, that they start talking and where they are from ... Spaniards. Ole you, leaving our mark wherever we go ...


Giant Buddha in the Kōtoku-in Temple

The Great Buddha of Kamakura, is the second largest Buddha image of Japan and the most famous point of interest of Kamakura.
Once located in a huge room, it is currently outdoors, since the room was razed by a tsunami in 1495.


Face of the Giant Buddha in the Kōtoku-in Temple

Giant Buddha in the Kōtoku-in Temple

We, forgetting something that is anecdotal in the end, continue the visit through the enclosure, but 20 minutes later and after several laps Great Buddha of Kamakura, we arrived at the place where they were, and we find that they continue to do the same poses ... watched closely by people who want to take pictures and their faces denote that they have been waiting for some time 😉
Who knows, if they have done a tour of Japan, they may have left their mark all over the country ...
That said, we continue with today's diary ...


Giant Buddha in the Kōtoku-in Temple

Giant Buddha in the Kōtoku-in Temple

When it is after 3 p.m. we decide that it is time to return to Kamakura Station, so we return to the electric subway, pay 190 yen per person and go to the station.
But first we have to make a stop in the post to change some money, because we are running out of anything, but what do you want us to say, we are unable to understand the cashier, since there is not a button on which there is an explanation in English and out of shame to go find someone to help us, we decided to go to a 7eleven ATM that we have seen before and the truth is that in these it is very easy to get money, so already with the pockets with yen we are going to buy a couple of ice cream for 300 yen and we take the train at 15.36 in the afternoon, bound Yokohama which will be our next destination of the day and that is included in the 14-day JRP.
The train arrives on time and after accommodating, we enter a kind of drowsiness that makes us wake up after 45 minutes, which is when we realize that I have fallen asleep and Roger with the cell phone has become clueless, so we have passed the stop of Yokohama. Touch to get off at the next stop and go back to the section we have passed.


Train from Kamakura to Yokohama

Distraction on the Train from Kamakura to Yokohama

In the end it has not been so much, about 5 stops and we arrived at the station Yokohama after 16.30 in the afternoon, but as we have said on occasion, the seasons in Japan They are another world, so until we get out they give us 17.15 in the afternoon.
The idea of ​​visiting Yokohama It has been something a bit "implicit" for everything we have read, since the truth is that it did not attract much attention, but after reading that we had to visit it, we were not going to leave without doing so. So the decision to visit Kamakura and Yokohama from Tokyo has been a bit imposed.


First impressions of Yokohama

We focus on the area of ​​Minato Minari 21, which is one of the most important areas of Yokohama.


Minato Minari 21 in Yokohama

Minato Minari 21 in Yokohama It is a neighborhood of artificial islands, once of docks, which has been transformed in recent decades.


Christmas lights in Minato Minari 21 in Yokohama

From the station we walk and we begin to notice that Yokohama it is another world apart, in which buildings, shopping centers stand out ...
So we are not going to take the opposite and one of the first things we do is enter a Shopping Center, the three Towers of Queens and we do not even know how we ended up in Cosmo World, an amusement park that has one of the ferris wheels biggest in the world.


Torres de Queens Shopping Center in Minato Minari 21

Cosmo World in Yokohama

We have to say that we are not going shopping in the trips we make, so the issue of Shopping Centers is not that we throw too much, so with a quick glance, we have everything done.


Christmas lights in Minato Minari 21 in Yokohama

Cosmo World in Yokohama

After a couple of hours walking through Yokohama, our body asks us for energy again, so the time has come to find something for dinner.


Cosmo World in Yokohama

Queens Towers in Yokohama

Cosmo World views

The intention was to do it in Chinatown but we are exhausted enough to rule out that visit, so we left that dinner pending for an upcoming trip to Japan and we decided to enter a restaurant that we see in a Shopping Center where the truth is that we have eaten a kind of fast food, with enough oil to leave our stomach a little touched.
After filling our stomachs, so to speak, we go to Cosmo World and we embroider it with exceptional views enjoying the fall of the afternoon and nightfall.

After this walk-in desktop, we return to the JR station to return to Tokyo.
From our point of view Yokohama It has been a totally dispensable visit, so if you don't have much time in Tokyo, it is preferable to dedicate these hours to know something more about the city.
Perhaps it is a very personal perception marked because at this stage of the trip we are tired and more at this time, but we have not really taken out too much juice.
We take the JR at the Sakuraguicho Station that is at the gates of Minato and we change at the station Yokohama to the Sobu line that will take us directly to our hotel in Tokyo.
After a few minutes we spent between asleep and vigilant not to stop, we arrived at "our place" in Tokyo.
Now it's time to walk the meters that separate us from our room at Hotel Horidome Villa and start dreaming of our penultimate day in Tokyo


Giant Buddha in Kamakura
Day 16
TOKYO - ASAKUSA: Sensoji Temple, Nakamise, Denbouin, Kappabashi, SUMIDA, ODAIBA: walk along the Sumida River to Odaiba, Aqua City Shopping Center, Fuji TV

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