鎌倉kamakura Home to the First Shoguns

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

鎌倉kamakura Home to the First Shoguns 鎌倉Kamakura Home to the first shoguns Kamakura makes for an enjoyable Many historical sites remain. side-trip from Tokyo. The city lies 45 Buddhism widened its influence km to the south-west of the capital, during the Kamakura period. about an hour’s travel, and it can be Previously it had been popular only done as a day trip. But ideally spend among the aristocracy. Leaders of a night or two, as too quick a visit will the Kamakura shogunate no doubt have you saying, ‘I wish I patronised Buddhist temples; Zen could stay longer’. Buddhism in particular was favoured by the samurai. There are Kamakura is not such a large city many temples in Kamakura that date today with a population of 174,114 [as back to this time. But one of the most at 01 Dec. 2009]. However, it was once famous sites is the Shinto shrine, a military and political stronghold. Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, which Kamakura played a pivotal role in was the Minamoto family’s tutelary The Great Buddha, Daibutsu, at Kotokuin Japanese history and witnessed the shrine. From the steps of this shrine, rise of the warrior class (samurai) you get a good view back over the dates from 1252 and it too was once under Minamoto no Yoritomo. city of Kamakura. Today there are housed within a structure, but at the Indeed, the very period of history height restrictions on buildings to end of the 15th century a tsunami when this occurred is named after protect the atmosphere of the city. washed the building away. the city, Kamakura. Its natural environment adds to the Hasedera, Kotokuin and the The Kamakura period can be said to city’s atmosphere. Kamakura sits on Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine are extend from 1180 when Yoritomo Sagami Bay and is surrounded by must-sees on most itineraries and hills. This once can be busy with people. It is made it easy to worthwhile visiting some of the defend as the quieter temples in the hills, too. As shogunal head- you step into the forested surrounds quarters, but today you can appreciate a more tranquil the city is favoured side of Kamakura. for its location and temperate climate. Kamakura recently made the Its proximity to headlines when US President Barack Tokyo has seen Obama, during his first official visit to it become a Japan in mid-November 2009, rather exclusive mentioned his memories of seeing residential area. the Great Buddha as a child and enjoying green tea ice cream. This Kamakura is a resulted in strong sales of green tea Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine was the guardian shrine of the popular destination Minamoto family. It has been at its present site since 1180. ice creams in Kamakura well into the all year round and colder weather of late autumn! made what was then a small seaside for tourists there is much to see and experience. Hasedera is an ancient village into his headquarters*. *There is some debate about what year the temple built in 736 and is famous for Kamakura had become the centre of Kamakura period should start: some say 1180, its ‘eleven-headed’ Kannon which is the date Yoritomo established his headquarters, political power by the time Yoritomo 9.18m high. However, it is the Great others say 1185 when Yoritomo’s forces was granted the title of shogun in Buddha or Daibutsu in nearby defeated the rival Taira family, yet others 1192. The Kamakura period lasted 1192 which coincides with the dates of the Kotokuin Temple which has become until 1333 when the Kamakura Kamakura shogunate (1192-1333) The usual the face of Kamakura. The Daibutsu shogunate was destroyed. dates given are 1185-1333. For more information about Kamakura The Kanagawa Prefectural Tourist Association has good information about the main temples, shrines, gardens and museums, including access details and maps. www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp/index-e.html Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) as always has good information. It has a suggested one-day trip to Kamakura. JNTO has launched its VISIT JAPAN 2010 campaign. You can find all this at www.jnto.org.au . Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTS Japan REPORTSSUMMER Japan 2009 REPORTS–10 Japanpage REPORTS five .
Recommended publications
  • Seasonal Variability of the Red Tide-Forming Heterotrophic Dino
    Plankton Benthos Res 8(1): 9–30, 2013 Plankton & Benthos Research © The Plankton Society of Japan Seasonal variability of the red tide-forming heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans in the neritic area of Sagami Bay, Japan: its role in the nutrient-environment and aquatic ecosystem 1, 1 1 2,3 KOICHI ARA *, SACHIKO NAKAMURA , RYOTO TAKAHASHI , AKIHIRO SHIOMOTO 1 & JURO HIROMI 1 D epartment of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252– 0880, Japan 2 N ational Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Fisheries Research Agency, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236– 8648, Japan 3 P resent Address: Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido 099–2493, Japan Received 19 June 2012; Accepted 14 January 2013 Abstract: The role of the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans in affecting the nutrient-environment and aquatic ecosystem was investigated in the neritic area of Sagami Bay, Kanagawa, Japan, from January 2002 to De- cember 2006, based on abundance, intracellular nutrient content, excretion rate and response of phytoplankton (dia- toms) to enrichment of nutrients extracted from N. scintillans cells. Seasonal variations in abundance and vertical distribution of N. scintillans were significantly related to the physical structure of the water column, water tempera- ture, chlorophyll a and primary productivity. Intracellular nutrient contents, except for Si(OH)4-Si, revealed clear sea- sonal fluctuations, which were significantly correlated to cell size variations. Thalassiosira rotula increased to higher + cell abundances at higher concentrations of nutrients, which were extracted from N. scintillans cells. NH4 -N and 3– + PO4 -P excretion rates were much higher during the first 1–3 h, and decreased rapidly with time.
    [Show full text]
  • Source Model of the 1703 Genroku Kanto Earthquake Tsunami Based on Historical Documents and Numerical Simulations: Modeling of A
    Yanagisawa and Goto Earth, Planets and Space (2017) 69:136 DOI 10.1186/s40623-017-0713-4 FULL PAPER Open Access Source model of the 1703 Genroku Kanto earthquake tsunami based on historical documents and numerical simulations: modeling of an ofshore fault along the Sagami Trough Hideaki Yanagisawa1* and Kazuhisa Goto2 Abstract The 1703 Genroku Kanto earthquake and the resulting tsunami caused catastrophic damage in the Kanto region of Japan. Previous modeling of the 1703 earthquake applied inversion analyses of the observed terrestrial crustal deformations along the coast of the southern Boso Peninsula and revealed that the tsunami was generated along the Sagami Trough. Although these models readily explained the observed crustal deformation, they were unable to model an ofshore fault along the Sagami Trough because of difculties related to the distance of the ofshore fault from the shoreline. In addition, information regarding the terrestrial crustal deformation is insufcient to constrain such inverted models. To model an ofshore fault and investigate the triggering of large tsunamis of the Pacifc coast of the Boso Peninsula, we studied historical documents related to the 1703 tsunami from Choshi City. Based on these historical documents, we estimated tsunami heights of 5.9, 11.4–11.7, 7.7, 10.8 and 4.8 m for the Choshi City regions of Isejiga-ura, Kobatake-ike, Nagasaki, Tokawa and≥ Na’arai, respectively.≥ Although≥ previous studies assumed that the tsunami heights ranged from 3.0 to 4.0 m in Choshi City, we revealed that the tsunami reached heights exceeded 11 m in the city. We further studied the fault model of the 1703 Genroku Kanto earthquake numerically using the newly obtained tsunami height data.
    [Show full text]
  • YOKOHAMA and KOBE, JAPAN
    YOKOHAMA and KOBE, JAPAN Arrive Yokohama: 0800 Sunday, January 27 Onboard Yokohama: 2100 Monday, January 28 Arrive Kobe: 0800 Wednesday, January 30 Onboard Kobe: 1800 Thursday, January 31 Brief Overview: The "Land of the Rising Sun" is a country where the past meets the future. Japanese culture stretches back millennia, yet has created some of the latest modern technology and trends. Japan is a study in contrasts and contradictions; in the middle of a modern skyscraper you might discover a sliding wooden door which leads to a traditional chamber with tatami mats, calligraphy, and tea ceremony. These juxtapositions mean you may often be surprised and rarely bored by your travels in Japan. Voyagers will have the opportunity to experience Japanese hospitality first-hand by participating in a formal tea ceremony, visiting with a family in their home in Yokohama or staying overnight at a traditional ryokan. Japan has one of the world's best transport systems, which makes getting around convenient, especially by train. It should be noted, however, that travel in Japan is much more expensive when compared to other Asian countries. Japan is famous for its gardens, known for its unique aesthetics both in landscape gardens and Zen rock/sand gardens. Rock and sand gardens can typically be found in temples, specifically those of Zen Buddhism. Buddhist and Shinto sites are among the most common religious sites, sure to leave one in awe. From Yokohama: Nature lovers will bask in the splendor of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji and the Silver Frost Festival. Kamakura and Tokyo are also nearby and offer opportunities to explore Zen temples and be led in meditation by Zen monks.
    [Show full text]
  • Seismotectonic Modeling of the Repeating M 7-Class Disastrous Odawara Earthquake in the Izu Collision Zone, Central Japan
    Earth Planets Space, 56, 843–858, 2004 Seismotectonic modeling of the repeating M 7-class disastrous Odawara earthquake in the Izu collision zone, central Japan Katsuhiko Ishibashi Research Center for Urban Safety and Security/Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan (Received February 16, 2004; Revised July 15, 2004; Accepted July 21, 2004) Odawara City in central Japan, in the northernmost margin of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate, suffered from severe earthquake disasters five times during the last 400 years with a mean repeat time of 73 years; in 1633, 1703, 1782, 1853 and 1923. In this region, non-volcanic Izu outer arc (IOA), the easternmost part of the PHS plate, has been subducted beneath Honshu (Japanese main island), and volcanic Izu inner arc (IIA) on the west of IOA has made multiple collision against Honshu. I hypothesize ‘West-Sagami-Bay Fracture’ (WSBF) beneath Odawara, a north-south striking tear fault within the PHS plate that has separated the descending IOA crust from the buoyant IIA crust, through examinations of multiple collision process and the PHS plate configuration. WSBF is considered a blind causative fault of the 1633, 1782 and 1853 M 7 Odawara earthquakes, and is inferred to have ruptured also during the 1703 and 1923 great Kanto earthquakes simultaneously with the interplate main fault. A presumable asperity on WSBF just beneath Odawara seems to control the temporal regularity of earthquake occurrence. Though WSBF has not yet been detected directly, it is considered an essential tectonic element in this region, which might be a fracture zone with a few or several kilometer thickness actually.
    [Show full text]
  • Traces of Paleo-Earthquakes and Tsunamis Along the Eastern Nankai Trough and Sagami Trough, Pacific Coast of Central Japan*
    Jour. Geol. Soc. Japan, Vol. 120, Supplement, p. 165–184, August 2014 JOI: DN/JST.JSTAGE/geosoc/2014.0012 doi: 10.5575/geosoc.2014.0012 Traces of paleo-earthquakes and tsunamis along the eastern Nankai Trough and Sagami Trough, Pacific coast of central Japan* Osamu Fujiwara1 Overview Received February 17, 2014 Great earthquakes of M8 and above and accompanying tsunamis have Accepted April 15, 2014 repeatedly occurred in the Nankai and Sagami Trough regions. These * Tsunami Hazards and Risks, JGS-GSL Inter- events have caused severe damage to the coastal areas close to the national Symposium, Excursion Guidebook 1 Geological Survey of Japan, National Insti- troughs. As part of the response to the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of tute of Advanced Industrial Science and Tohoku Earthquake (or the Great East Japan Earthquake) and tsunami, Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 7, 1-1- 1 Higashi, Tsukuba, 305-8567, Japan. the Cabinet office of the central Japanese Government proposed new guidelines for assessing the risk of similar earthquakes and tsunamis Corresponding author; O. Fujiwara, affecting the Nankai and Sagami Trough regions. These new guidelines [email protected] call for the largest possible class of earthquake and tsunami to be taken into account even if the probability of such an event is low. Large earthquakes and tsunamis in this region would affect an area with high concentrations of population and industrial infrastructure. As a result of these changes, the last 2 years have seen a high public awareness of disaster mitigation measures in the region. One of the results has been that some local governments have begun upgrading their existing disaster prevention infrastructure, such as raising the height of existing dikes and reinforcing refuges to help protect the population in the case of future great earthquake and tsunami events.
    [Show full text]
  • Best of Tokyo and Beyond 8 Days/7 Nights Best of Tokyo and Beyond
    Best of Tokyo and Beyond 8 Days/7 Nights Best of Tokyo and Beyond Tour Overview Experience more of one of world's greatest cities on the Best of Tokyo and Beyond tour. To the uninitiated, Tokyo may seem like a whirlwind of people and traffic. Yet, behind the ordered chaos lie remnants of a very different past. You could easily spend a lifetime exploring Tokyo and never run out of places and things to discover. Destinations Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura Tour Factors Cultural Immersion Pace Physical Activity Tour Details From “funky” old Ueno and nearby Yanaka with its fine park, museums, and old houses, to the ultra-modern Ginza with its endless department stores … the sheer energy level of Tokyo will sweep you away. And by night, Tokyo really comes into its own. Mazes of blazing neon fill every available nook and cranny of the city’s streets and alleys. Above all, Tokyo is not just a destination, but an experience. You will learn the ancient religious traditions of the Japanese, visit the famous “Daibutsu” in Kamakura, explore Tokyo’s largest Shinto Shrine dedicated to the emperor who began the modernization of Japan and see the icon of Japan, Mt. Fuji (weather-permitting). Combine this tour with the Best of Kyoto and Beyond tour for a more complete Japanese experience. Or, if you only want to spend a few days in Kyoto either before or after the tour, we can arrange this for you. Contact us for details. Akihabara District and Maid Cafe Harajuku District and Takeshita Dori Tour Highlights Meiji Shrine and Omotesando Ginza District Asakusa - Sensoji Temple and Asakusa Shrine Hakone - Hakone Ropeway, Owakudani and Lake Ashi Sightseeing Boats Kamakura - Kotokuin (Great Buddha) and Hokokuji (Bamboo Temple) including Tea and Sweets in the Bamboo Garden Travel Guard Gold Policy (for American tour members only) Tour Inclusions Electronic version of Tour Handbook and Japanese History International airfare is NOT included.
    [Show full text]
  • Miura City, Kanagawa Pref
    Strategies for utilizing the industrial areas Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. Miura-city is selling this industrial area. Please contact us if you are interested in leasing the area. ◆Industrial park for distribution of fisheries products in Misaki fishing port ( located in Futamachiya ) Tokyo Yamanashi Kanagawa Shizuoka Miura To Shinagawa Yokohama Yokosuka Kinugasa IC Road JR Line Sahara IC Miura Jukan Road Kurihama Sta. (JR) Keikyu-Kurihama Sta. Yokosuka City Miura Jukan Road Hayashi Ext. YRP Nobi Sta. Keikyu Line Keikyu Nagasawa Sta. Tsukuihama Sta. Miurakaigan Sta. Misakiguchi Sta. M i u r a C i t y Miura City Office Misaki Port Jogashima (Bus stop) Industrial Area in Futamachiya District 1 ◆Basic Information Name Industrial park for distribution of fisheries products in Misaki fishing port ( located in Futamachiya ) Location 5 chome Miura city, Kanagawa prefecture Electricity High tension 6.6kv Ground Wiring Gross area 13.8ha Diameter 25 - 50mm Areas Waterworks Sales in lots area 6.2ha ( Piping Extracting Port ) Sub industrial area Sewage Drainage Processing facility in the site Use Districts Building-to-land ratio 60% Seawater Drainage Some pipes partially Floor area ratio 200% Gas Individual propane gas ◆Block Plan You can choose for your preference Maximum 10m quay. Can be connected by 10,000 t level. Revetment Freight handling area Hydrophilic revetment Green spac e ① ② ③ Public sewage site R evetment Park Pollution drainage processing facilities Fisheries processing factory Parking ④ land for sale in lots, periodical rental contract, temporary use is available. temporary use is available. land for sale in lots, or lease completed. Division Square measure Price ① 15,882.83m2 773,490,000 yen ② 22,170.45m2 1,017,620,000 yen ③ 22,171.13m2 997,700,000 yen ④ 1,510.65m2 80,670,000 yen When you split a partition, so selling price is corrected by factor of shape, acreage by road connections from the standard land prices ( 54,600 yen ).
    [Show full text]
  • Seasonal Variability in Phytoplankton Carbon Biomass and Primary Production, and Their Contribution to Particulate Carbon in the Neritic Area of Sagami Bay, Japan
    Plankton Benthos Res 14(4): 224–250, 2019 Plankton & Benthos Research © The Plankton Society of Japan Seasonal variability in phytoplankton carbon biomass and primary production, and their contribution to particulate carbon in the neritic area of Sagami Bay, Japan 1,2, 2 2 2,3 KOICHI ARA *, SATOSHI FUKUYAMA , TAKESHI OKUTSU , SADAO NAGASAKA & 4 AKIHIRO SHIOMOTO 1 Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252–0880, Japan 2 Research Division in Biological Environment Studies, Graduate School of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252–0880, Japan 3 Department of Bioenvironmental and Agricultural Engineering, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252–0880, Japan 4 Department of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences, Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Abashiri, Hokkaido 099–2493, Japan Received 27 August 2018; Accepted 6 June 2019 Responsible Editor: Akira Ishikawa doi: 10.3800/pbr.14.224 Abstract: Seasonal variations in environmental variables, chlorophyll a (Chl-a), particulate carbon and nitrogen (PC and PN, respectively), phytoplankton carbon biomass (Ph-C) and primary production were investigated at a neritic sta- tion in Sagami Bay, Kanagawa, from January 2008 to December 2013. Size-fractionated Ph-C was converted from cell volume by microscopic observation, adding valuable data for this area. During spring blooms, the micro-size fraction (>20 µm) comprised the majority of the total Chl-a and total Ph-C, whereas during other periods the pico- and nano- size fraction (<20 µm) comprised a larger proportion, indicating that phytoplankton standing crops were affected by sunlight conditions and physicochemical properties of the water.
    [Show full text]
  • Seismotectonic Modeling of the Repeating M 7-Class Disastrous Odawara Earthquake in the Izu Collision Zone, Central Japan
    Earth Planets Space, 56, 843–858, 2004 Seismotectonic modeling of the repeating M 7-class disastrous Odawara earthquake in the Izu collision zone, central Japan Katsuhiko Ishibashi Research Center for Urban Safety and Security/Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan (Received February 16, 2004; Revised July 15, 2004; Accepted July 21, 2004) Odawara City in central Japan, in the northernmost margin of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate, suffered from severe earthquake disasters five times during the last 400 years with a mean repeat time of 73 years; in 1633, 1703, 1782, 1853 and 1923. In this region, non-volcanic Izu outer arc (IOA), the easternmost part of the PHS plate, has been subducted beneath Honshu (Japanese main island), and volcanic Izu inner arc (IIA) on the west of IOA has made multiple collision against Honshu. I hypothesize ‘West-Sagami-Bay Fracture’ (WSBF) beneath Odawara, a north-south striking tear fault within the PHS plate that has separated the descending IOA crust from the buoyant IIA crust, through examinations of multiple collision process and the PHS plate configuration. WSBF is considered a blind causative fault of the 1633, 1782 and 1853 M 7 Odawara earthquakes, and is inferred to have ruptured also during the 1703 and 1923 great Kanto earthquakes simultaneously with the interplate main fault. A presumable asperity on WSBF just beneath Odawara seems to control the temporal regularity of earthquake occurrence. Though WSBF has not yet been detected directly, it is considered an essential tectonic element in this region, which might be a fracture zone with a few or several kilometer thickness actually.
    [Show full text]
  • Memories and Strategic Silence in Jōdoji Engi
    Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 42/1: 109–131 © 2015 Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture Janet R. Goodwin and Kevin Wilson Memories and Strategic Silence in Jōdoji engi Jōdoji engi, begun in 1372, records the history of a small temple established in 1192 on the grounds of Ōbe estate in Harima province. This article will compare the engi’s account of the temple’s founder Chōgen and his successor Kan’amidabutsu, and of the construction of the temple itself, with documen- tary records. We note the engi’s emphasis on the wondrous and miraculous rather than on the temple’s role in land reclamation and estate supervision that the documents stress. We also examine the engi’s silences, particularly in regard to violent confrontations between Jōdoji monks and Ōbe estate’s pro- prietor, Tōdaiji, and the estate’s local managers beginning in the 1290s. The documentary record has little else to say about Jōdoji after the 1220s; and the engi does not fill us in. We will ask what picture of the temple the engi’s com- pilers were trying to project through what they chose to record and to omit. keywords: Jōdoji—Chōgen—Kan’amidabutsu—Ōbe estate—Tōdaiji—jishū— cultural capital Janet R. Goodwin is a research associate at the East Asian Studies Center, University of Southern California. Kevin Wilson is a PhD candidate in Japanese history at the Univer- sity of Southern California. 109 t the end of the twelfth century in Harima province (present-day Hyōgo prefecture), the monk Chōgen 重源 (1121–1206) founded the small temple Jōdoji 浄土寺 on the grounds of Ōbe estate 大部庄, a hold- Aing of the great Nara monastic complex Tōdaiji 東大寺.
    [Show full text]
  • 5 Souvenir Albums Kimbei, Took a Number of Years to Build a Truly Representative Portfolio Which Covered the Four - Number List and Main Islands
    mirrored the actual journey the tourist had taken. Some famous photographers, for example Kusakabe 5 Souvenir Albums Kimbei, took a number of years to build a truly representative portfolio which covered the four - Number List and main islands. In the meantime, Kusakabe and others solved this problem by acquiring prints and Attribution Issues negatives from other studios, effectively filling in the gaps in their own catalogues. This was perhaps Throughout the whole of the Meiji period and to be expected: a Yokohama-based studio might beyond, it was possible for Japan’s foreign visitors, well decide it was impractical, or impracticable, and of course local residents to acquire souvenir to obtain a representative range of views from as photographs of scenic views and portraits. These far away as Nagasaki or Hakodate. Kusakabe, in photographs were usually mounted in albums whose fact, advertised his business as a photographic boards were decorated with attractive lacquer work dealership in the early years of his studio and it was or Japanese silk cloth. The photos themselves were only later that he styled himself as a photographer. invariably hand coloured, but some customers Most Meiji-era studios included work from other favoured them in their original sepia tones. photographers in their souvenir albums, and The albums are sometimes today referred to as arrangements between studios to buy or exchange Yokohama Albums since most of the studios which negatives must have been commonplace. Do not produced them, at least in the early years, were expect, therefore, a souvenir album to necessarily based in that town. After the 1880s, however, an contain the work of just one artist.
    [Show full text]
  • WCSK2011-Time Table of Technical Tour
    Time Table of Technical Tour Contact person during the tour Date: 9 August (Tue), 2011 090(7051)0920 Place: History area, Nara city Akihisa Kitamori, RISH, Kyoto university Important Notification Due to a postponement of the conference, we made a slight change on the plan of the technical tour. Major changes are followings; 1. To unify previously scheduled courses A and B (Cancel a visit to Nara national museum) 2. To use a bus as transportation from Kyoto to Nara, and between each sites of Nara city 3. To cancel a walk tour in precincts of Todai-ji temple NARA is the ancient capital city of Japan, celebrates the 1300th anniversary of its founding at 2010. Being located 40 km south of Kyoto, a lot of historical buildings, items and cultures have been preserved and many of them are registered as national treasure. We visit the World Heritage sites of center of Nara city such as Kofuku-ji temple, Todai-ji temple and Kasuga-taisha shrine. There you may find many different styles of huge timber constructions and wooden statues. Tour is to start at Kyoto station. Visiting Kofuku-ji temple to see many impressive Buddhist statues exhibited in the museum, observing a reconstruction site of huge timber hall and demonstration of traditional timber processing by master carpenters. After lunch, moving to Todai-ji temple to visit the largest timber structure in Japan (Daibutsu-den) walking through unique gate (Nandai-mon) displaying two big wooden statues of guardian gods (Niou-zo). Finally visiting to Kasuga-taisha shrine via dense Japanese cedar grove, looking on a performance of dedication dance to the forest based on Japanese religion.
    [Show full text]