Once in Kamakura we walked through the underpass next to the station and along the Dankazura under the cherry blossom, we weren’t alone on this trek it seemed the most of Kamakura and a good quantity of tourists also thought it was a good idea. This old road which we are told was the first in Kamakura has been retained as the median strip through the new modern road to the Hachimangu Shrine. You can see it ahead of us here but it is still further than it looks.
As you approach the shrine there is the usual storage of sake that has been donated to the shrine, this isn’t for ornamental purposes the casks of sake are regularly opened and used for ceremonial functions.
Each entrance is marked by a Torii, this gate marks the division between the sacred and the profane. Tied on the frame next to it are pieces of paper containing fortunes, these are purchased at the shrine, if it is a good fortune and you tie it here it should come true, if it is a bad fortune and you don’t want it you also tie it here to leave it behind. I’m not quite sure how the fates differentiate between the two but there are hundreds of these added each day so you’d think there must be something in it.
You can just glimpse the Shinto bride and groom during the wedding ceremony in the centre of the first stage before the entrance to the main shrine ahead.
It is a huge space, even with all the crowds they seemed to be absorbed and you had a sense of peace. The shrine is the most important in Kamakura and is dedicated to Hachiman, the patron god of Samari. It was founded in 1063 by Minaoto Yoriyoshi and moved to the current position in 1180 by the first shogun of the Kamakura government, Minamoto Yoritomo.
With a day trip to Kamakura from Tokyo we managed to include the Buddhist temple Hasedera, the Great Buddha, a short walk through the town streets, the Dankazura, Hachimangu, and Kencho-ji.
