Tokyo Excursions
Great Buddha, Kamakura
Kamakura
The city of Kamakura, about 30 miles (50km) southwest of Tokyo
at the base of the Miura Peninsula, was the political powerhouse of
Japan in the middle ages and the seat of government for most of the
13th century. Because of its historic importance Kamakura boasts
numerous monuments, temples and shrines of interest to tourists. As
an added bonus the city sports some sandy beaches and good hiking
trails in the nearby wooded hills. Kamakura's many sights are too
numerous to detail individually, but most important of them all is
the Great Buddha. This bronze statue of the seated Amida Buddha is
located in the grounds of the Kotokuin Temple, and standing at
almost 44ft (13,35m) high, it is the second largest Buddha statue
in Japan after that found in the Todaiji Temple in Nara. The
Kamakura Great Buddha was cast in 1252 and was originally contained
in the temple hall. A tidal wave (tsunami) washed away the temple
in the late 15th century, but the Buddha prevailed and since then
has stood in the open.
Website: www.kamakuratoday.com/e;
Transport: JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station, or the Enoden Railway, an unusual streetcar-like train service
