Kamakura, Japan

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Kamakura, Japan

"Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character." - by William Arthur Ward

The Soul of Japan

Kamakura is a seaside Japanese city just south of Tokyo. The political center of medieval Japan, modern-day Kamakura is a prominent resort town with dozens of Buddhist Zen temples and Shinto shrines. Its most recognizable landmark is the Kotoku-in Temple’s Great Buddha, a roughly 13m-high bronze statue still standing after a 15th-century tsunami.

The Great Buddha at Kamakura

“This bronze statue, fifty-two feet high, dates from the thirteenth century. The temple by which it was originally protected has been destroyed by fire and earthquake. Secluded in a quiet valley, this Buddha impresses one with the con- templative calm so characteristic of the Japanese.” – a quote by Rudyard Kipling

As Kipling says, one may hear the soul of all the East about them at Kamakura. It is a truly magical place, where you can walk and wonder for hours and constantly be amazed by the history and culture of the Japanese people/

Shooting in Kamakura

Kamakura is an amazing place for any photographer. We took the high-speed train from Tokyo and were then in under 2 hours. When we arrived it was a short 15 minute walk to the Great Buddha which had just opened so had very little people. I was able to shoot the entire Buddha in under a hour and it came our very well, I was even able to get a drone shoot in but was chased asay by the temple guards.

From the site of the Great Buddha you can just walk around the city, and explore. We went in search of the Emperors statue which took us up the surrounding hills and into the countryside where we found a secluded temple that is only accessable via a tunnel into a closed off valley. In Japan the countryside merges with the city and you can walk from residential areas into historical and cultural areas pretty much every 5 minutes.