Well at last it was time to visit Daibutsu at Kotoku-in. The amazing statue of the Great Buddha sits outside after the main hall that housed it was rebuilt and destroyed numerous times over the past several hundred years. I have seen a lot of pictures of the statue and read the stats as well but it is always hard to grasp the true size until you see it in person.

The statue weighs about 267,000 pounds and is 43.8 feet tall made out of bronze. The statue is believed to be over 760 years old though it has been repaired a few times over its life.

While I was there a nice girl offered to take my photo which I gladly accepted her kind offer as a souvenir from my trip here. The grounds were very nice but apart from the statue there was not a lot of other things to see at kotoku-in and time was getting late so I decided to walk to Hasedera just a short walk away. There were a few interesting shops along the way.

Sadly during my walk the rain started again but this would not slow me down/ I heard amazing things about Hasedera and after I arrived, I immediately felt all the wonderful things were well deserved. There is a beautiful pond and garden at the entrance which felt so refreshing to my eyes and walking along the paths I was wowed by the countless Jizo statuettes located in various places around the temple grounds.

Having arrived in November I missed the beautiful hydrangea flowers which the temple is largely renowned for but as I hiked up the mountain I was able to enjoy a beautiful view of the town and the sea. The rains and cold were wearing on me as was the full day of hiking around Kamakura so after enjoying the view a little it was time to head back to my Hotel and get ready for my trip to Kyoto the next day.

The train ride home was crowded but smooth. I stopped off for a little dinner in Asakusa and then return to the comfort of my hotel to dry out and rest.

to view or purchase any images of Kamakura please check out my set http://kfrates.zenfolio.com/p1033001107