1. Kamakura: Tsuragaoka Hachimangu Shrine. This shrine is an important cultural center in Kamakura and much of the main attractions in the city are within a few miles of the shrine. There also is a large stone stairway where a 1000-year old gingko tree used to stand (it was uprooted just 3 years ago by a storm).
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| Gate before a long tree-lined path leading to the main shrine structures. |
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| Mini bridge - This felt very classic, like something from old Japan. |
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| A small pond area nearby the entrance to the shrine. |
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| We walked across a huge open area to get to the main shrine buildings. |
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| Purification Trough. |
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| Long stairway up to the inner shrine. The Gingko tree used to be to the left in this picture. |
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| There was another mini-shrine inside through a series of small red gates. |
2. Enoshima: Enoshima is a small island (about 2.5 miles around, or 4 km) in Sagami Bay just south of the city of Fujisawa. It is linked to the main land by a 600m bridge which many people traverse every day. On the island itself, there are shops, a shrine, a garden, and other views to see from the mountain in the center.
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| View of the bridge to Enoshima Island |
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| Beautiful - You can see the rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds. |
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| Yes, palm trees on the beach in Japan. |
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| Me - Before the trek up and to the island. It was pretty windy and cold despite the sun. |
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| Shopping street on the island - very narrow and crowded, but lots of neat things in the shops. |
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| One of the archways up to the shrines. You need to climb about 6 steep stairways to get to the top. |
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| Another stairway... |
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| The Samuel Cocking Garden - Much smaller than I expected, but very well taken care of. Lots of pansies, pink and white flowers and more. |
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| View from one of the stairways up the mountain-side. |
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| The entire island fits in one picture. |
Part 2 to come soon...
Very cool pictures Heather :)! Looks like you are exploring lots of Japan :)!
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