Kamakura: Big Buddha

After the main shrine of Kamakura, the group headed to the shrine that held the Giant Buddha of Kamakura. Now, your probably thinking "wait isn't that in Nara", and you would be right. The Biggest Buddha in Japan is the one in Nara built in the 700's or 800's. The Kamakura one was built, maybe because the first shogun was competing with old system.

It has been told that when the Shogun decided to make the statue he asked the commoners for their copper coins to build it. Since there was no accessible copper available.

You'll notice that the statue has no cover, that is because the original shrine that covered it was destroyed by natural disasters many times. They rebuilt it, but....

Anyway, they did build an outer shrine for the Buddha that includes a museum and garden.

Here is the main gate entrance. 

Here are the guardians of the shrine.

Even the well, to cleanse your self before entering the shrine.

Now these giant sandals were made by the elementary students who thought Buddha was tired of sitting after so long and thought he need some sandals so he could walk around.

Here a name tablet thing. Again I have no idea what it says, sorry.

It was right behind the Buddha, FYI.

There is one more shrine after this.

Many of the group tried soft serve green tea ice cream. They liked it, apparently. I only do chocolate by the way. Chocolate! Nothing wrong with green tea but for me desert is about chocolate, not the sugar or the fat or even the ice cream goodness. Even if it is 90 degrees outside with high humidity. Which is was. Just saying chocolate. Chocolate.