No curve was too sharp for them and their bicycle. No puddle was deep enough to stop them. -- Friends by Helme Hein

10 May, 2011

A quiet trip to Kamakura

On the Sunday after the earthquake, we thought things were slowly returning to normal in Tokyo, with trains resuming service and food easily accessible. We took a trip to Kamakura to enjoy the sunny spring day and the lack of crowds. This was before we knew of the severity of the nuclear disaster and that plumes of radiation would hit Tokyo 24 hours later.
Woody rubbed the tummy of Hotei, the god of happiness.

And was oggled by many a Japanese grandmother. He's a hit with the over 70 crowd. Without fail, every Japanese person who meets Woody comments on his nose: "Hana no takai desu! Kawaii!" He has a tall nose compared to his Japanese counterparts.

A nice nursing break on the grounds of a shrine in the hills.

Daibutsu, or Big Buddha. In a cruel coincidence, the shelter that once held Big Buddha was washed away by a tsunami over a thousand years ago.

And the sea. It seemed so calm and welcoming, just days after reclaiming what once belonged to it just 150 miles away.

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