Jochiji ranked number four of the five great Zen temples in Kamakura kind of tricked me at first. I thought it is kind of off the main street a little but the entry is beautiful. Up some wonderful stairs and though a gate. The constant rain and cold was really sucking the energy from me so I was not able to spend a great deal of time here as I think I would on a nicer day. This is no fault of the temple of course and someday I would like to visit again.

Old Tanuki statue

There were some interesting things here. One of my favorite discoveries was the large statue of Hotei, the god of happiness which was inside a natural cave and also a trio of unique Tanuki statues.  Tanuki is a Japanese Raccoon Dog who are thought to be mischievous and cheerful. Tanuki are also thought to be shapeshifters who can change their form at will. The statues are commonly found in many gardens and shops all over Japan.

I was now getting thirsty and really wanting to get some place dry for a little bit so I left Jochiji and headed for my next destination hoping to find something along the way. I headed off towards Kenchoji. The street connecting all these major temples is actually pretty narrow and so is the sidewalk. There were no konbini stores or chain stores but a variety of small shops were stretched out along the roadway.

Finally I stopped in a small shop offering local cider and the famous Kamakura sweet potato soft serve ice cream (murasaki-imo sofuto). It was almost noon now and the rain had stopped. Inside the store was a few seats so I grabbed one and rested for a bit. I could understand why the sweet potato ice cream was so widely promoted. It was outstanding and so was the cider. I bought a second cider to take back to my hotel.

To see more of my Kamakura adventure or to purchse prints please visit here http://kfrates.zenfolio.com/p1033001107

To be continued...