[Date and Time] Saturday, October 15, at 11:00～16:40[Spots] Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Hasedera Temple, and Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha)
[Visitors] 33 JICA participants from 8 countries (India, Myanmar, Honduras, Columbia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bolivia, and China)
[Attendants] 22 KSGG members
[Language] English and Spanish
After arriving at Kamakura, we started the tour with the participants divided into 5 groups. Our group members were 9 Chinese participants. Since only a few of them could understand English, I didn't explain for details and I had them look around independently.
At Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, we saw the people who visited there for Shichi Go San (The Seven-Five-Three Festival), and some participants enjoyed taking picture with a 7-year- old girl wearing kimono.
At Hasedera Temple, a participant got a temple seal on a square card of Daikokuten (God of Wealth). I asked him why he got it and he said that he wants to be rich. At the Great Buddha, they were impressed by its size and took pictures against the Great Buddha each other. At Kotokuin Temple, a visually impaired participant and the leader of them gave us thanks speech at the end of the tour. As all the participants looked satisfied with this tour, I thought they had a nice time. When I said goodbye to them at Fujisawa Station, I shook hands with all of them and ended the tour.
☆ Hoping the Tour to be a Good Memory in Japan
I guided 6 participants from South America that day. Mr. D from Honduras is visually impaired. He was born in 1988, when I got married. So I felt as if he were my son.
The conversation which impressed me is as follows: At Hasedera Temple, I said, “Mr. D, Pacific Ocean is so close and big.” He said, “Wow, it's really nice.” At the Great Buddha, I said, “The Great Buddha is 13m tall and has been sitting here for 750 years.” He said, “Wow, 750 years! So long!!” His effort to have these images in his mind deeply touched me beside him.
On my way home, I hoped the tour would be a good memory in Japan for Mr. D and other 5 participants.
