[Date & Time] Friday, April 3rd, 9:10～16:08
[Spots] Kotokuin Temple (The Great Buddha),
Hasedera Temple, Jyufukuji Temple, SASHO (Japanese Style
Restaurant), and
Komachi Dori Street
[Visitors] 2 American couples (from Hawaii)
[Attendant] 1 KSGG member
[Language] English
The visitors are the
third Japanese-Americans. They wrote in an email that they hoped to
see the Great Buddha, walk around a quiet ancient capital city, and take a
Japanese lunch at a tranquil place in advance.
First, we visited Kotokuin Temple.
I handed them a piece of paper with the words of “Namu-Amida-butsu
(Buddhist sutra which means I take refuge in Amida-Butsu with limitless hope
and life)” which I had written down with sumi
(calligraphy ink). We slowly walked around the precincts
explaining about the difference between the
Jodo (Pure Land) sect and the Zen sect, the history of Kamakura, and the
Great Buddha. During my explanation, I
took the couples to the Great Buddha sitting up by himself against the
mountains in a drizzly rain. I took them under the eyes of the Buddha and I had
them feel the compassionate gentle gaze of the Great Buddha. We returned to Kamakura Station and went to an
intimate restaurant, SASHO, which is located behind the Jyufukuji Temple and is
quiet to our satisfaction. We enjoyed washoku (Japanese-style dishes), viewing
a large Japanese garden from the traditional Japanese style house constructed
in the 2nd year of the Showa period (1927).
They made themselves comfortable there, away from the din and bustle of
the city.