20 - North Shore News — Sunday, January 9, 2000 Alison Appelbe Contributing Writer ONE hour from Tokyo by train lies a wooded hillside that nestles the homes of successful artists, profession- als and business people. Here and there, not far from a road, are more than 80 Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Kamakura is both an affluent sub- urb of Tokyo and a religious centre established dur- ing the 200-year Kamakura period of Japanese his- tory, when sever- al shoguns made this one-time fishing —_ village their undisputed stronghold. Today, tourists can visit several dozen Buddhist ten ples and monasteries, several of which offer summer- time Zen medita- tion training to Westerners. A popular way to approach Kamakura is to travel by Japan Rail from Tokyo station (the trains are fre- quent) and dis- embark at Kita-Kamakura station on the northern edge of the Kamakura townsite. . Several of the most popular tem- ples are within easy walking distance of this village station, and from here . you can continue walking down a winding country road into the town. From Kamakura, roads lead east and ‘west to other temples. Finally, you can catch a train from Kamakura (central) station back to Tokyo. began my visit immediately out- ‘side. Kita-Kamakura . ‘station at Engaku-ii, one of the Big Five Kamakura temples. ELEGANTLY carved figures and woodsy paths lead to the temples at Kamakura. Engaku-ji is beautifully situated at the top of a broad set of rough-hewn timber steps, among towering, spaced and well-pruned evergreens. Beyond are halls, temples and living quarters — some grand and decora- tive, others simple and functional. The best known is the Shrine of the Sacred Tooth of Buddha, one of few remaining buildings in the area to date to the Kamakura period (1192) to 1333). Designated a National Treasure, the hugely ornate shrine features an upward- sweeping Chinese-style roofline. However, there's much more at Engaku-ji: ele- gantly carved fig- ures, and more scone steps, woodsy _ paths, and buildings, extending deep into the woods. One byway took me into the rus- tic courtyard of the Mausoleum of — Tokimune Hojo, where a monk handed me a piece of paper. The tiny print explained that Hojo had founded one of two clans that ruled during the Kamakura _peri- od. Adjoining the tomb, it read, are a number of hermitages. Just down and across the road is a much smatier Buddhist tempte known as Jochi-ji. On the day I visit- ed, aman sat reading, while a handy- man puttered around a rambling workshed. In shallow caves located at the rear of the property stand a cou- ple of stone Buddhas. A cool breeze blew through the thicket of well- tended shrubs and trees, and crickets sang. After walking for another 15 min- utes, I arrived at a massive scaffold- covered entrance gate of another of _ Bali Magic & Singapore package from 1599.00 cdn p.p. Departures 30- Jan - 30 Mar for 17 days *ask for Lorraine she has just 2000 —- TRAVEL — Kamakura provides F reli Phetos Alison Appelbe STONE figures stand sentry at Engaku-ji, one of the Big Five temples at Kamakura, about an hour’s train ride from Tokyo. the Big Five, Kencho-ji. A large sign announced a costly restoration project, and the name Mitsui was prominently displayed. Seems that the corporation is spend- ing millions of yen at Kencho-ji-and the presence of machinery and a fast- food stall gave this temple a worldly aspect. However, Kencho-ji’s pride is well-founded. It boasts a bronze bell cast-in 1255 (another National Treasure), a juniper grove planted more than 700 vears ago, and a hall and gate designated Important Cultural Properties. As well as seven buildings accessi- ble to the public, Kencho-jt contains a private monastery and 10 sub-tem- ples. Like Engaku-ji monastery, Kencho-ji is a centre for the influen- tial Rinzai Buddhist sect. Continuing down the road towards the town of Kamakura, past modest-looking (though certainly EGYPT - Kingdoms of the Nile 13 days - Cairo, Pyramids plus Niile expensive) houses and high-end restaurants, I came upon a sprawling site with milling people. This, my map told me, was the Hachiman-gu Shinto shrine, built to honour a Kamakura-era emperor and his ‘wife. Though spectacular looking, Hachiman-gu’s subtle themes of nationalism and power did not per- suade me to linger. After a light lunch beside a large pond filled with lotus flowers, 1 retreated to another Buddhist tem- ple, Hokai-ji, a few hundred metres east of the town centre. A mimeographed sheet that a monk at the gatehouse exchanged for a small entrance fee revealed that Hokai-ji was founded after the fall of the Kamakura government in 1333 on the site where the Hojo family lived. Today, suburban homes cluster around its perimeter. In a corner of the meditation hall — of the finest old wood and richly carved — several chil- dren, perhaps those of a caretaker, played with toys. More distant temples beckoned, but with time for only one more ‘Se es te visit, 1 decided on Hokoku-ji, report- ed to be an especially beautiful Rinzai teniple. Although the afternoon was blis- tering hot, I consulted my map and walked along a quiet residential read to the foot of what seemed like a vegetation-covered reck face right out of Tolkien. An immaculately tended pathway meandered upward past a series of . Buddhist statues to’ a large medita- tion hall, not unlike a Western tea | pavilion. Like every zen temple, its serene. interior was fitted out with tighuy woven tatami mats on which to sit and meditate. Behind the pavilion stood a bright green bamboo grove and a wooden teahouse with a wide veran- da, where guests are served a large bow! of green tea. Referring to my guide book, I learned that Hokoku-ji_ had fallen into disrepair, aid was recently rebuilt by an enterprising priest. It was indescribably lovely. @ For more information, contact the Japan National Tourist Organization - (416) 366-7140, or. ‘visit... . | o8 “ 7 _ Cruising Russia| Swiss Style Wg car about cruising Russia on the aUS Kirov and our special. * escorted departure in June 2000. Guest s speater lain Perkins wsill enlighten gout as he uncovers the fascinating jo journcy ; through tmpenal Russia, : returned from bali *2) day advance purchase required *Tax additional 7:00pm * Rospway ‘Travel Cruise ....land rate... . $1730 p.p. “oe. 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