2013.8.2—Today was an excursion.
The first part of our journey took us to Kamakura, where the shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo set up his capital city in the 12th century.
Students visited Enkakuji, a Buddhist temple, and Kamakura’s famous Daibutsu, or great Buddha statue.
After touring around, students were treated to a lavish lunch of traditional Buddhist cuisine that included multiple dishes, all vegetarian. One student said that the lunch itself was “worth the entire trip to Kamakura.”
After this meal, students were given free time to explore one of Kamakura’s famous Shinto sites, as well as the shopping streets of Kamakura, which are renowned for their crafts. Many students enjoyed looking around these shops, which they said had “a very different selection from the ones in Tokyo.”
The second part of the journey took the students to Yokohama, the second largest city in Japan and the port of call for Commodore Perry and his famous Black Ships.
Students were given the choice to either go to Yokohama’s famous Chinatown or Yamashita Park.