Day 8 - Yokohama and Kamakura

I'd heard tell, by way of the ol'inteenet, of a GIANT Buddha in Kamakura, so set off in search of that same sight.  Little did I know that Kamakura must be Japanese for Temple City, because it was absolutely crawling with them.  A great setting for them...small, steep mountains covered with forest crept into the neighbourhoods of this suburb and I ended up actually hiking in forest for a couple of hours to get from one temple to another...this only a 20min train ride from Yokohama!
First stop in Kamakura was the Zeniarai-Benzaiten Shrine, situated in a hollow that you accessed by going through a 15m tunnel.  Elements of the shrine were actually in small caves around the outskirts.  The theme of this shrine seemed to be water...you were meant to wash your money here, and it would come back to you (presumably with some kind of worthwhile interest)...

The entrance from the street.

My involuntary model demonstrates the use of the tunnel for accessing the shrine.

The other side of the tunnel

Please extinguish your incense offerings in the urn provided.

Here, ringing the bells is part of the deal.

Please do not put your hand in gargoyle's mouth.

More, colourful, offerings

A very yummy, and egg-free, snack lunch.  These are made out of sticky rice flour, not testicle.

 From the shrine I wandered up to the hilltop Genjiyama Park, which offered plenty of greenspace, statues smaller shrines, birds-a-poppin', and here-and-there a view of this coastal suburb...

Hawks are almost as abundant and pesky as crows in this neighbourhood.  I saw a few signs warning people not to feed them.

Nice environment in which to be a statue. 

Several areas of the park were taped off because of bees' nests (presumably).

From the park I did the aforementioned hike and popped out quite close the shrine with the giant Buddha (second biggest in Japan, I believe), at the Kotoku-in Temple (that link has a very cool, and short, video of how the Buddha was made, 750 years ago).  It's really quite an awe-inspiring sight, this giant Buddha...and picturesque from a variety of angles.

This little guy was off to the side...wonder if there is such a thing as Buddha envy?

Having achieved the goal-of-the-day, I started heading back to the train station, but encountered yet another picturesque temple, Hase-Dera, and gave it a quick tour.  This temple seemed to be trying to make up for Buddha size with Buddha quantity.  The gardens were really stunning.

It's like that old saying: The more Buddhas, the more peace.

Hey!  You on the end...I don't like your attitude!

Mmmmm...these Japanese roofs.

I'm betting those are the Buddha's footprints.

This is some kind of rotating scroll/book case.

Oh yah...bring it on home.

Hmm...foxes, and a red gate...foreshadowing...?

Presumably in charge of crankiness.

More Buddha footprints...too big for me by about 300%, and I'm size 12.

That was about it for that day.  A pleasant beach walk took me most of the way back to the train station, and then it was back to Yokohama and the ship.