Dawn breaks. Look, the sun shine right into my eyes. Something in the deep recesses of my mind tells me this is not the comfort of my bed. But comfort it is.
Coffee. To try to get the fuzz out of my brain. I found the Cafe downstairs, with their far too short chairs, Japanese style elevator music and western food. And a coffee machine that makes a fair semblance of a latte. But that must leave the safety of the hotel, and it’s forgiveness of my social faux pas. Time to navigate the outside world.
Japan has the art of public train transport down to a fine art. Greater Tokyo with its population of 37.2 million people has trains, subways, monorails and the famous shinkansen or bullet train to us uneducated Westerners. Clean, efficient, on time, and no graffiti. Imagine that. No really. Is it possible maybe respect for the assets of society is part of education?
But I digress, again.
After arriving in Kamakura, about half an hour south of Yokohama, a shortish walk saw me arriving at the Kotoku-in Temple and it’s large bronze Buddha. 13.35 meters high and cast around 1252 it has survived tsunamis, earthquakes and humans, of which they were plenty. Insta-posing and selfie sticks, never mind contemplation or enlightenment. Time to head for the hills, literally.
There is a walk along the undulating spine of the hills, which can lead you to the Kita-Kamakura station, and from there the train again.
It’s a little track and I was able to count the people on it on one hand. Peace, solitude and all that that goes with it on the fringes of the largest city in the world. Let us live in hope the tourists don’t discover this, and it’s rewards to the soul.
At the end of the day I achieved moments of peace with glimpses of Japanese tradition through the trees. But no enlightenment. Maybe a selfie stick – but no.
