path: root/src/inc/kamakura.htm

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<span class="date">
2023-04-22
</span>
<p><img src="/media/content/kamakura/maple.jpg"
style="width:100%;max-height:300px;object-fit:cover;object-position:0 63%;" /></p>
<p>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, getting used to working from new places without consistent access
to an office and the altogether unfamliarness of my life just made me
not feel like exploring quite yet.</p>
<p>Kamakura is a common day-trip from Tokyo and a quick 1.5h train ride
from my home near Asakusa. The weather was pretty meh that day, very
cloudy and it looked like it would rain any moment.</p>
<aside class="notice">
<h1 class="nocapital">
random history sidenote
</h1>
TODO: insert bit about history of the place
</aside>
<p>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<a href="#fn1" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref1"
role="doc-noteref"><sup>1</sup></a>, 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 <em>eating</em> 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.</p>
<p>There’s a dude with a bike nearby, who looks at me with the same
expression i feel like i must have on my face. but he just shrugs and
goes back to minding his own business. you’ve got to love japan for that
mentality - if this was e.g. NZ i am sure he would’ve come over to ask
me if i am fine. which i am, of course… otherwise i would’ve very much
asked for help myself!</p>
<figure>
<img src="/media/content/kamakura/birds.jpg" alt="birds" />
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">birds</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There were a few birds circling overhead just waiting for me to
unwrap more food. Closer inspection reveals that the creature that just
stole my bread must have been some kind of eagle (or another bird of
prey i can’t name). This is quite a bit different to the crows and
pidgeons i am used to - and a bit scary tbh. To have my breakfast in
peace I just walk off into town again. Staying away from open spaces for
a bit 😄</p>
<p>On my way back to the centre of town, I find a bucket of see-through
plastic umbrellas <a href="#fn2" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref2"
role="doc-noteref"><sup>2</sup></a> 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 <em>what was probably
left behind by his own clients</em>). Naturally I picked one up: This
umbrella would be with me for the next months.</p>
<p>There isn’t really that much to say about the big Buddha<a
href="#fn3" class="footnote-ref" id="fnref3"
role="doc-noteref"><sup>3</sup></a>, in the end it’s just a large statue
(that you can go inside of for a fee).</p>
<p>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 kōtoku-in temple area. A bit further I came to some stairs next
to one of the tunnels that lead out of the Kamakura city area, cutting
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.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="350" src="https://www.openstreetmap.org/export/embed.html?bbox=139.52468670041964%2C35.30365364531346%2C139.55768860013887%2C35.33509840514864&amp;layer=mapnik" style="border: 1px solid black">
</iframe>
<p><br/><small><a href="https://www.openstreetmap.org/?#map=15/35.31938/139.54119">View
Larger Map</a></small></p>
<section id="footnotes" class="footnotes footnotes-end-of-document"
role="doc-endnotes">
<hr />
<ol>
<li id="fn1"><p><a
href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KatsuSando6515.jpg"
class="uri"
target="_blank">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KatsuSando6515.jpg</a><a
href="#fnref1" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li>
<li id="fn2"><p><a
href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E5%82%98_(7374668616).jpg"
class="uri"
target="_blank">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E5%82%98_(7374668616).jpg</a><a
href="#fnref2" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li>
<li id="fn3"><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dtoku-in"
class="uri"
target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dtoku-in</a><a
href="#fnref3" class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">↩︎</a></p></li>
</ol>
</section>