Photo: Buddhapada in Kamakura (Japan 2009)

Buddhapada in Kamakura

Where: Kamakura, Japan
When: Afternoon, July 16th 2009

I found this decorated stone in Kamakura's Hase-Kannon Temple. It is a stylized depiction of the footprints of Buddha. In early Buddhist art, it was considered taboo to directly depict a being as sacred as the Buddha, so they alluded to his presence by showing his footprints, called Buddhapada in Sanskrit.

These Buddhapada are covered with a variety of symbols. Look at the most prominent one, which looks like a sun or wheel. If it looks familiar to you, you may be thinking of the Flag of India, which has a similar design in the center. The wheel shown on both these footprints and the Indian flag is a dharmacakra, or a "wheel of law", and symbolizes the Buddha's path to enlightenment.

Japan's many sacred places are filled with items and objects that are often laden with symbolism. Knowing even a little bit about the many cultural traditions that make up Japan can add a lot to a trip through the country.

Kamakura's Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Basic Statistics:
What? Shinto Shrine
Where? Kamakura, Japan
Why? It's the most important shrine in Kamakura, which used to be the capital of Japan. It's painted with bright colours and filled with fields of waterlilies. Kamakura, including Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, makes a very convenient day trip from Tokyo.
How Much? Free

The entrance to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is a short walk from the Kamakura train station. Most guidebooks recommend approaching the shrine via Wakamiya Oji, a very long and old ceremonial road that's lined with lovely cherry trees. In the spring it is blooming and beautiful like in this googlesnatched photo:



When I was there, it looked like this, which I also liked:



This Tori means you're in the right place:


Don't forget to wash out your hands and mouth with the water here:





Follow these stairs to reach the main shrine, but notice the large Ginkgo tree on the left.



I found myself drawn to this tree for some reason, even though I couldn't read any of the sign posted in front of it. I later found out that it is more than 1000 years old, and that Kugyo Minamoto hid behind it before stabbing and killing his uncle Sanetomo Minamoto, the Third Shogun, in 1219.




Most of the shrine buildings are painted a brilliant vermilion.




Don't miss the fields of waterlilies. I had the good luck to be rushed through them by a crowd of adorable children as the shrine's school was letting out.

Kyoto's Sanjusangendo

Even one of Sanjusangendo's statues of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, is impressive. Each one stands life sized and is covered in gold leaf, has eleven faces, and twenty one sets of arms to symbolize the goddess's thousand. Can you picture one Kannon now? Good.

Now imagine 1001 of them, each one unique and hand carved from Japanese cypress, crowded into Japan's longest wooden building. A giant statue of the Thousand-armed Kannon sits in the middle of the hall, with 500 smaller (merely life sized) Kannons on each side. The youngest of the statues are almost 700 years old. The effect is mind blowing.



As if the Kannons weren't enough, the hall also contains the statues of 28 Guardian deities and of Fujin and Raijin, the terrifying Japanese Gods of Wind and Thunder.


The temple's exterior, painted a striking vermilion, is worth a look as well.











Don't hurry off once you've seen the statues, or you'll miss the fascinating story of the other side of the hall, which has been used for the Tōshiya archery tournament since the 1600's. A small but fascinating display lists the truly awe inspiring records of Japan's best archers.

In the Oyakazu competition, for example, archers shoot as many arrows as they can within a 24 hour period, hoping to 'clear' - shoot the length of the hall without hitting the roof, floor, or pillars - as many arrows as possible.

In 1686, Wasa Daihachiro shot 13,053 arrows in Oyakazu, clearing 8,133 of them. This averages out to nearly 6 arrows a minute for twenty four hours straight.

Sanjusangendo is in Kyoto, Japan.

Kamakura's Daibutsu

No visitor to Kamakura, or even to Tokyo, should miss this Great Buddha. Housed in the temple Kōtoku-in (高徳院), it is a popular destination and so easy to reach on foot or by bus. Most maps of Kamakura depict the Daibutsu visually, so you need not read Japanese to find your way.

Cast in 1252, this Buddha was originally housed in a wooden temple. Notably, it was built completely with donations - no government funding whatsoever. A 1498 tsunami destroyed this building, and crushed hundreds of Samurai who were taking refuge inside, but left the huge bronze statue standing. Some repairs were done in 1960, particularly to strengthen the statue's neck, but otherwise it has been standing out in the open, in it's present form, for more than five hundred years.

The statue is made primarily of copper, with a large component of lead and tin. Even today we are not one hundred percent sure how it was put together. Originally the statue was covered in brilliant, shining gilt, but over the course of 700 years it has worn almost completely off. Specialists have said that that statue's balance, intelligence, powerfulness, and dignity surpass that of the Todaiji Buddha in Nara.

Among those impressed by the statue's longevity and serene demeanor are Richard Cocks, who after visiting in 1616 said that the Daibutsu must be larger than the Colossus of Rhodes, and Rudyard Kipling, who, after seeing the Daibutsu in 1892, mentions it repeatedly in verses throughout his novel Kim.

O ye who treated the Narrow Way
By Tophet-flare to Judgment Day,
Be gentle when "the heathen" pray
To Buddha at Kamakura!

If you go around to the back, you can see that this Buddha in fact has windows! It is hollow inside and in fact for a time it was a den for gamblers and the homeless.

Now you can go inside for only 20¥ - about 20 cents.








Mentioned in: Japan's Daibutsu

Sources:
http://themargins.net/anth/19thc/kipling.html
http://www.kamakuratoday.com/e/sightseeing/daibutsu.html

Japan's Daibutsu

Japan is home to a number of fabulous Daibutsu, literally, 'Big Buddhas'. These statues vary widely in terms of size, material, personality, and style, from the 120 meter tall Ushiku Amida Buddha, shown on the right, to the Kamagaya Daibutsu, called "Japan's Smallest Big Buddha," which in my mind borders on the oxymoronic.


The first Daibutsu I'd like to showcase is the Ushiku Amida Buddha. At 110 meters tall, it is the third largest statue in the world, and more than three times the size of Brazil's Christ the Redeemer. Although I haven't seen it myself, it certainly looks impressive in this Googlesnatched photo.

However, the Ushiku Amida Buddha has two things going against it. Firstly, it's somewhat out of the way, compared to many of the Daibutsu which are in famous cultural centers. Secondly, and this one's a killer, the Ushiku Amida Buddha was completed in 1995, making it a whopping 14 years old.





Next up, The Great Buddha of Nara. This is the world's largest Buddha Vairocana. Work began on this bronze Daibutsu in 747, however, it has been repaired numerous times and had it's head replaced in 1692. It's nice and shiny, but it loses some of it's grandeur since it's crowded inside of a building.

Still, it's a must see if only for the sake of this building: Todaiji's Great Buddha Hall. It is, as it stands today, the largest wooden building in the world - and it's only 2/3 it's original size.









Last but not least, here's The Great Buddha of Kamakura. Although he can make no superlative claims, he is listed among Japan's official top 3 Daibutsu for good reason. Cast in 1252, this Daibutsu is more than 750 years old. He towers over the buildings around him while retaining a peaceful, otherworldly presence. Originally covered by a building like the Nara Buddha's Todaiji, his temple washed away in a tsunami long ago, leaving only the Daibutsu.

He is located in Kamakura, just a short train ride from Tokyo. This town features dozens of temples and makes a great day trip.

Still, the best thing about the Kamakura Buddha is that it's hollow in the middle, with windows on the back... and for 20¥, or about 22 cents, you can go inside.

Find out more in: Kamakura's Daibutsu