[Date and Time] Sunday, August 8, at 10:00~15:45
[Spots] Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Hasedera Temple, Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha), and Yuigahama Beach (Visitors who are interested)
[Visitors] 61 AOTS trainees from 8 counties, with 26 from Thailand, 22 from China, 7 from Malaysia, 2 each from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Venezuela, and 1 each from the Philippines and India
[Occupations] Automotive, Computer Software, Sales Management, etc.
[Languages] Chinese, English, Thai, and Japanese
[Attendants] 15 KSGG members
In the prolonged heat of the summer, we started our tour at the clock tower in front of Kamakura Station. At Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, “Bon-Bon Matsuri,” or a Lantern Festival, which is a symbolic event of summer, had been held. Because of many square paper lanterns with various drawings, including the landscapes of Kamakura, and the earth, cartoons, and poems, I thought the festival was especially beautiful this year. At the Maiden stage, a special ceremony was held to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of Emperor Ojin enshrined at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. In this ceremony, different kinds of flutes, such as a big wooden one of Aborigine, an ancient stone one of Japan, and a traditional Japanese one were played and dedicated to the shrine. The sounds I listened to for the first time were quite unique and natural. At Hasedera Temple, all of us, including the visitors, looked very cheerful. It was even cool at its overlook and in Benten-kutsu cave. Finally, at the Great Buddha, a cool breeze began to blow. Then the female visitors from Thailand and others headed for Yuigahama Beach in summer.
*Guiding trainees from Thailand
We bought box lunches at a convenience store on Wakamiya Oji Street, and went to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. After paying homage at the shrine, we had lunch at around Genji-ike Pond talking about the Genji and the Heike clans. At Hasedera Temple, they were interested especially in Sentai-Jizo, or one thousand stone statues and prayed seriously. I imagined that they had thought of a baby of their relatives, who died before or immediately after its birth. (Sentai-Jizo is said to save the spirits of dead babies.) At Kotokuin Temple, they mused over the close relationships between Thailand and Japan, looking at the 3 pine trees planted in its precincts in honor of the visit of Thai crown prince, of Rama 7th, and of others.
[Spots] Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Hasedera Temple, Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha), and Yuigahama Beach (Visitors who are interested)
[Visitors] 61 AOTS trainees from 8 counties, with 26 from Thailand, 22 from China, 7 from Malaysia, 2 each from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Venezuela, and 1 each from the Philippines and India
[Occupations] Automotive, Computer Software, Sales Management, etc.
[Languages] Chinese, English, Thai, and Japanese
[Attendants] 15 KSGG members
In the prolonged heat of the summer, we started our tour at the clock tower in front of Kamakura Station. At Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, “Bon-Bon Matsuri,” or a Lantern Festival, which is a symbolic event of summer, had been held. Because of many square paper lanterns with various drawings, including the landscapes of Kamakura, and the earth, cartoons, and poems, I thought the festival was especially beautiful this year. At the Maiden stage, a special ceremony was held to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of Emperor Ojin enshrined at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. In this ceremony, different kinds of flutes, such as a big wooden one of Aborigine, an ancient stone one of Japan, and a traditional Japanese one were played and dedicated to the shrine. The sounds I listened to for the first time were quite unique and natural. At Hasedera Temple, all of us, including the visitors, looked very cheerful. It was even cool at its overlook and in Benten-kutsu cave. Finally, at the Great Buddha, a cool breeze began to blow. Then the female visitors from Thailand and others headed for Yuigahama Beach in summer.
*Guiding trainees from Thailand
We bought box lunches at a convenience store on Wakamiya Oji Street, and went to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. After paying homage at the shrine, we had lunch at around Genji-ike Pond talking about the Genji and the Heike clans. At Hasedera Temple, they were interested especially in Sentai-Jizo, or one thousand stone statues and prayed seriously. I imagined that they had thought of a baby of their relatives, who died before or immediately after its birth. (Sentai-Jizo is said to save the spirits of dead babies.) At Kotokuin Temple, they mused over the close relationships between Thailand and Japan, looking at the 3 pine trees planted in its precincts in honor of the visit of Thai crown prince, of Rama 7th, and of others.