Kamakura

For the Kamakura board game, to consult the article Kamakura (play).

Kamakura (鎌倉市, Kamakura-shi ) is a city of the Japan located at the edge of the Pacific Ocean in the Préfecture of Kanagawa, with 50km in the South-west of Tokyo (approximately an hour of train) and a little less Yokohama. The city was founded on November 3rd 1939. Population of the east city of: 171512 inhabitants for a surface of 39,53km ² (2005).

Kamakura is a historically important city for Japan. In 1192, the Shôgun Minamoto No Yoritomo decided to install its new capital with Kamakura, at the same time moving there the political center of Japan. It was the time when Shoguns took the top on the Emperor (Mikado). The government of Kamakura dominated Japan during more than one century, until in 1333 (see Period Kamakura).

Today, Kamakura is a balneal, tourist and quite quiet city for the tourist arriving by train from Tokyo. The summer, its long beach is run. Appreciated densha- Otaku, an old train on only one way crosses the city.

Monuments

Among many temples, mausolés and historic buildings, the most famous monument today is doubtless the great Buddha Amitabha of Kamakura , the larger second of Japan after that of Nara, another old capital. This Daibutsu is a bronze sculpture, melted towards 1252, a height of about 13 Mr. The building which sheltered this great Buddha of Kamakura would have been destroyed, according to the sources, either by a typhoon, or by a Tsunami, at the end of the 15th century century. In particular, a Japanese plate affixed on the ruins of this building speaks about a Tsunami (this leaves thoughtful when, since the foot of this Buddha, one sees the sea downwards, with far, perhaps with a kilometer as the crow flies). (The great Buddha of will kamakura (entered 200 Y) is not directly at the station of Kamakura. It is necessary to take a bus or a local train skirting the sea for the station (Hase Station). Between the station and Daibustu, on the left while going up in Daibutsu, is the vast temple rather pleasant Hase-dera (bell, gardens, sight, caves, treasures various) with a sight on the bay (entered 300 Y)).

In the middle of the city, vis-a-vis the sea and separated from it by a long planted alley of Cherry tree S and broadside of stone lanterns, the temple Tsurugaoka Hachiman Gu is dedicated to Hachiman, god of the war, guardian divinity of the clan Minamoto.

Behind of the city, in hills protected from construction, one finds many temples and their broad fields; some are the seat of the schools of Buddhism Zen Japanese.

Close to the station of Kita-kamakura (meaning Northern of Kamakura), in the temple Engaku-ji, the famous Japanese scenario writer is buried Yasujirō Ozu.

See too

  • Period Kamakura

External bonds

  • Official site of the town of Kamakura
  • Wikitravel: Kamakura
  • DaiSuki : French site with many photographs of Japan & Kamakura

Random links:Ouysse | St John' S College (Cambridge) | Gerard Kamanda wa Kamanda | Marcel Bertrand | General agent of insurance | Canton,_Mississippi