--- date: 2023-04-22 --- ![](../../media/content/kamakura/maple.jpg){style="width:100%;max-height:300px;object-fit:cover;object-position:0 63%;"} I call this one "trip zero", because it was very much a trial run for me. The effects of having just moved to Japan for the year were still fresh and I altogether didn't feel like exploring quite yet. Kamakura is a common day-trip from Tokyo and a short 1.5h train ride from my home near Asakusa. The weather was pretty meh, very cloudy and it looked like it would rain any moment. I had left the house earlier without breakfast, so off I went to the next Lawson to get myself some. For some reason I decided to get a Katsu-Sandwich[^sando], which is out of character for me - I usually go for Onigiri - and then to have it on the beach nearby. Seeing as i was the only person eating anything there should've been hint enough. As soon as I sat down to take a bite, something comes dashing down past my head. I am obviously startled but not prepared for the bird to come back to actually pick the sandwich out of my hand this time around. [^sando]: ??? There were a few birds (crows in my interpretation) circling overhead just waiting for me to unwrap more food. To have my breakfast in peace I just walk off into town again. Staying away from open spaces for a bit 😄 On my way back to the centre of town, I find a bucket of see-through plastic umbrellas [^umbrella] outside what looked like a beauty saloon, with a sign telling passer-bys to take one (in Japanese ofc). I guess the visibly imminent rain made the shop keeper put them out there for tourists (conveniently helping him get rid of *what was probably left behind by his own clients*). Naturally I picked one up: This umbrella would be with me for the next months. [^umbrella]: ??? There isn't really that much to say about the big Buddha[^buddha], in the end it's just a large statue (that you can go inside of for a fee). [^buddha]: ??? Despite the weather there was a surprising amount of tourists and I wanted to get out of the bustle, so I followed the street that had let to the temple area. A bit further I came to some stairs next to one of the tunnels that lead out of the Kamakura city area, that cut through the surrounding hills. OrganicMaps told me there was a hiking path up there, which I could take to circle back towards the train station.