[Date & Time] Wednesday, June 30, at 10:00～16:30
[Visitors] 7 Chinese-Australian family members
[Spots] Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Jufukuji Temple, Genjiyama Park (lunch), Zeniarai Benten Shrine, Sasuke Inari Shrine, and Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha)
[Attendants] 2 KSGG members
[Languages] Chinese and English
The 7 visitors have lived in Sydney for more than twenty years since they migrated from Vietnam. We bought box lunches at a convenience store at Kamakura Station and went to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. On our way, I explained such topics as conflicts between the Genji and the Heike clans and the start of Samurai period in Chinese or English, or in a mixture of Chinese and English. Then, someone who first understood what I said was kind enough to explain to his fellows loudly in Cantonese. At Tsurugaoka Hchimangu Shrine, I explained to them how to clean their hands and rinse their mouths at chozuya, and how to pay homage. It was impressive that all of them followed the manners I explained at the other shrines and temples they visited.
After we soaked ourselves in the quietness of Jufukuji Temple, we climbed up a narrow, steep path, reaching Genjiyama Park, where we had lunch by the bronze statue of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo. At Zeniarai Benten Shrine, I was surprised to see all the visitors washing their bills, splashing water. As I wondered how they would dry them up, “Australian bills are all made of plastics,” said a visitor to crack us up. Then we went to Sasuke Inari Shrine, the Great Buddha, and came back to Kamakura by Enoden to end our tour. It was a tour of 16,000 steps under the flaming sun with a wonderful family cheerful, full of pep, and even considerate of us guides. Somehow I didn’t feel exhausted after the tour.
[Visitors] 7 Chinese-Australian family members
[Spots] Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Jufukuji Temple, Genjiyama Park (lunch), Zeniarai Benten Shrine, Sasuke Inari Shrine, and Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha)
[Attendants] 2 KSGG members
[Languages] Chinese and English
The 7 visitors have lived in Sydney for more than twenty years since they migrated from Vietnam. We bought box lunches at a convenience store at Kamakura Station and went to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. On our way, I explained such topics as conflicts between the Genji and the Heike clans and the start of Samurai period in Chinese or English, or in a mixture of Chinese and English. Then, someone who first understood what I said was kind enough to explain to his fellows loudly in Cantonese. At Tsurugaoka Hchimangu Shrine, I explained to them how to clean their hands and rinse their mouths at chozuya, and how to pay homage. It was impressive that all of them followed the manners I explained at the other shrines and temples they visited.
After we soaked ourselves in the quietness of Jufukuji Temple, we climbed up a narrow, steep path, reaching Genjiyama Park, where we had lunch by the bronze statue of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo. At Zeniarai Benten Shrine, I was surprised to see all the visitors washing their bills, splashing water. As I wondered how they would dry them up, “Australian bills are all made of plastics,” said a visitor to crack us up. Then we went to Sasuke Inari Shrine, the Great Buddha, and came back to Kamakura by Enoden to end our tour. It was a tour of 16,000 steps under the flaming sun with a wonderful family cheerful, full of pep, and even considerate of us guides. Somehow I didn’t feel exhausted after the tour.