Kamakura was once the de facto capital of Japan for some time in the 13th century. It has a large number of Shinto and Buddhist shrines, and is famous for its Amida (Amitabha) Buddha statue from 1253 CE. It is about 2 hours away from Tokyo.
Ueno Station has a Giant Panda doll on display, probably advertising Shin Shin, who gave birth to a Giant Panda baby in Ueno zoo. I didn't have time to go to the zoo, and I had already seen a huge number of Pandas at Chengdu in China.
Asakura Fumio's (Rodin of Japa
n) nude
“Tsubasa no Zo” (Statue of Wings - 1958) at Ueno Station gifted on its 70th anniversary.
Contrast the state of Japanese culture with the same period in the US, when even a display of cleavage was censored under the Hays Code in 1953.
Every person in Japan seemed to out in the subway at Rush Hour in the morning. I had a hard time holding up my camera over the heads to get a blind shot.
But no subway rush can compare with New Delhi's metro where I was literally lifted up by one fat woman and man completely airborne with no contact with the floor. Tokyo was heavenly compared to that sweaty stench and layers of human fat.
Everyone is absolutely quiet in the metro, and it is frowned upon to eat anything while traveling in the metro. For an Indian who traveled in second and third class compartments, the subway feels like a disinfected mausoleum with all the masked Japanese, everyone shuffling away silently when their time comes.
Hase Dara Temple at Kamakura
Little Buddha Statues at Hasedera Temple
It was raining when I went to the Great Buddha (Daibutsu) at Kamakura.
Amitabha Buddha, a bronze statue dating back from 1253 CE, which was at one time gilded with gold leaf.
This Buddha has been lovingly covered with a red woolen cap and bib. Even buddhas can feel cold.
Takedera Temple surrounded by cherry blossoms
A small bamboo forest near Takedera temple
I like Japan!
Three friends
Wishes left hanging in the contrariwise hope that the Buddha fulfills all desires! I wondered how many days pass by before they give way to new wishes by new people.
By now, I had almost stopped clicking cherry blossoms.
The bridge across the ocean linking Enoshima island to Kamakura.
Sunset at Enoshima: these two squirrels were eating berries on the trees.
Sunset at Enoshima Bridge: the sun almost looked like it had dropped out of the streetlight.
A view of Kamakura from Enoshima at sunset.
I returned to Tokyo by night, and decided to roam around Akhibara, which boasts of hundreds of digital lights, anime, video games, and eating places.
Akhibara: Each of these anime figures cost anywhere from 7,000 INR to 25,000 INR. Of course, these are no longer for children, as you can see from their evocative costumes and allure.
Akhibara: There's a big market for game DVD's, and even game cards. The only people in the store I could see were over 21 year old guys. I did feel a little out-of-time by three decades.
Akhibara: There's a string of hostess bars, cabarets and eateries along Akhibara. All the bars station their girls outside with their menus. Here you can see three girls in line from different bars.
Akhibara: Here's what one of those bar-fronts looks like.
Akhibara: There are three combos on offer: A drink, drink and dessert, drink, food and dessert. All of them include a "snapshot with our maid". I continued walking because my hostel was still a long way off.
Akhibara: I mistakenly assumed anime were also aimed at children. My impressions of Fullmetal Alchemist and Dragonball Z still hold, but are dated. The anime of today are the craze of young adults in Japan, with real-life hostesses dressed up as "cute" anime underage characters.
Change is the only constant in life, as Heraclitus said!
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