Sugimotodera Temple

Sugimotodera temple is a small and very dark temple at the top of some stone steps up the hill in Kamakura. I have photos of the the outside but you're not allowed to take photos inside the temple, which was my favourite bit. It's so atmospheric inside, it's wooden and old and feel's like another time. I knelt at one of the Buddha statues just as there was a lull in voices, so I felt really quiet and still. Some of the Buddha images are difficult to see because of the dimmed lighting but that only added to the sense of mystery and stillness. It also smells deeply of incense, one of my favourite smells!

Small, dark and beautiful!

Day out in Kamakura

I had a lovely day out yesterday in Kamakura and I want to share some of my photos with you!

Kamakura still retains some of that ancient magic of old Japan, don't get me wrong, contemporary Japan's fascinating, but give me cobbled streets, ancient temples, and tranquil mossy gardens any day:)

I visited quite a few temples yesterday but my two favourites were Hokokuji and Sugimotodera.

Hokokuji temple has a beautiful bamboo garden, which even though it was pretty busy still had a hushed, magical feel. I walked around it twice I loved the atmosphere so much! There's a small pavillion with a good view of the garden where you can sit and drink green tea (whisked by hand) and eat Japanese sweets which really complement the tea. I didn't manage to get a photo of it but as I was sitting admiring the view of the garden a pale emerald coloured dragonfly fluttered across my vision like a jewel, beautiful.