Yuki Shibazaki-san, the owner of the Ginsuzu Gallery, is a writer. She published a book about the influence of the Japanese culture on the way of life of 43 foreigners living in Japan and I am one of them.
The title is: “Watashi Nihon no koko ga suki”: I like Japan!










She chose also to write about my experience.



Underneath my image to the right it says: “Nihon ga oshiete kurete bigaku”: “Japanese beauty teaches me”. And my name in Katakana to the left: Suwanika Rihitenberugu.

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We had breakfast in this restaurant, a typical old style house.



We had a nice time together for one day and then I returned to Holland to return the next day to Japan.

My sister-in-law Inge, my son Roland and niece Esmee.













We played a board game from about a hundred years ago, which our grandfather played from my husband’s family side. It is played once a year on New Year’s Eve. It is about farmers being afraid of having to pay too much taxes. We play with old Dutch pennies not being used anymore because of the Euro.

Then at 12 midnight after wishing everybody a Happy New Year and drinking champagne, everybody rushes outside to light fireworks with a big bang starting the New Year! It is not organized. Anybody can light fireworks. It is everywhere around you!  Watch this YOU TUBE VIDEO!!

In the beginning of November

Only in the beginning of November and New Year’s time are you able to access the grounds and view the Temple’s treasures. But even then after paying 500 yen, there is a rope hanging around the structure and going inside it is not permitted. So, this is my picture and as close as I could get. So, I saw this altar only from far away.

This picture shows the Shariden in the snow and clearly the special architecture.
The existing structure was first constructed in the early 15th century as the main hall of Taiheiji nunnery. After the abduction of the head nun, the Temple took over the structure in the latter half of the 16th century. The steep slope of the two double-decks roof with shingles indicates a Sung-style Chinese architecture. This Shariden is the oldest Chinese-style building in Japan and that is the reason for being enrolled on the list of National Treasures. The principal object of worship is a statue of Birushana Butsu. Birushana is the transliteration of a Sanscrit word vairocana, meaning the sun and the light of grace. Vairocana Buddha is sometimes called the supreme Buddha, representing the wisdom of “emptiness”. He is considered a personification of the everything, unmanifested, free of characteristics and distinctions.

Shari denotes sacred ashes of Shaka (Sakyamuni). Shariden, therefore, means a hall that is dedicated to the ashes of Sakyamuni. However, there is no such ashes any more.

The Engaku-ji is one of the most important Zen Buddhist temple complexes in Japan and is ranked second among Kamakura’s Five Mountains. This is a system, a network of monastic offices, developed in China to bureaucratize and to control the Zen temples. In Japan it prospered thanks to the countries military rulers in Kamakura first and Kyoto later.
The temple was founded in 1282 (during the Kamakura Period) by a Chinese Zen monk at the request of the then ruler of Japan, the regent Hojo Tokimune after he had repelled a Mongolian invasion in the period 1274 to 1281. Tokimune had a long-standing commitment to Zen and the temple was intended to honour those of both sides who died in the war, as well as serving as a center from which the influence of Zen could be spread. According to the records of the time, when building work started a copy of the Sutra of Perfect Enlightment (in Japanese, engaku-kyo) was dug out of the hillside in a stone chest during the initial building works, giving its name to the temple.
(Also, see my blogs from May 14 and 16, 2006 or click on the tag “Temple”).

It is situated on the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine grounds in a beautiful setting surrounded by lots of trees and of course, the autumn colors were astounding, especially the yellow from the Gingko tree.


The featured exposition is about The 800th Memorial Anniversary of Honen Shonin (1133-1212), who studied Buddhism and found the true way of universal salvation through the practice of nembutsu revealed in the Buddhist scripture text by Shan-tao. Honen established the nembutsu as an absolutely independent practice. In the spring of 1175, he founded Jodo Shu, or the Pure Land Denomination, in Japan. The center of his teaching was at Yoshimizu, where Chion-in, the Head Temple of Jodo Shu, now stands.
Masako, wife of warrior Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun who founded the Kamakura government shogunate, was a follower of Honen. And so the center of the Jodo Shu sect is established at the Komyoji, the temple in my neighborhood. Look also at the following blogs: Oct. 18, 2009; April14, 2009; July 31, 2008, and Sept.23, 2007.

This is Yoshitada Shonin a treasure from Kamakura City and sculpted from wood in the 12th century here in Kamakura, in the time when all the sculpting and carving of wood started because all of the temple building and developed into the Kamakura Bori.

They also had some wonderful maps hanging from the Komyoji.
I was allowed to take some picture from a book, because it was sold out.

This map is made in 1720. To the south is the beach with some some greenlands and to the north it is build against a rocky hill.
A lot of temples in Kamakura protect themselves in that way with their back against a hill.

This second map was drawn in 1850 and again you can clearly see the hills surrounding the temple and a small river flowing in to the sea. This map was about 2 by 2 meters big!






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and stalls of wicker household ware.








Then there are the memorial services in the temple (to the left a picture of praying monks and to the right a special altar with offerings) and performances: a dance performance by children (YOU TUBE movie) and a orchestral performance by monks (YOU TUBE movie).


You can visit the entrance gate “Sanmon” and climb to (YOU TUBE movie) the second level where you have a wonderful view over the temple grounds and part of the city and the sea. Inside on the second floor wooden statues are preserved behind glass. You still can see the colors of the paint.
The faces and composure of the body of the praying monks
(YOU TUBE movie) are full of expression.







And the gods standing next to them are protecting them.

The origin of Kamakura Bori starts in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) when the Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo establishe his military government in Kamakura on 1192. Many fine articles were imported from the culture of the China Song Dynasty, including “Urushi” lacquerware. Zen Buddhism flourished and with the building of the temples altar fittings and all other religious paraphernalia were needed. Artisans in Kamakura, in trying to imitate the Chinese “Tsuichi” lacquerware (first lacquer and then carving), developed a similar but unique technique called Kamakurai Bori (first carving and then lacquer). The picture shows a table “Maezukue” from the Kenchoji in Kamakura.

In the Muromachi Period (1338-1573) many more artistic masterpieces were created, like large incense containers and ink stone cases (see the left picture with a design of the Shishi dancing animal from the Kamakura Treasure Museum). The words “Kamakura mono” (things made in Kamakura), appeared for the first time in a diary. which perhaps for the first time described this beautiful art form.




During the Edo Period (1603-1867), the tea ceremony reached its highest point in popularity among the Japanese aristocracy and along with that, the need for all the utensils. Kamakura Bori was highly valued. The picture shows a tobacco tray from the Kamakura Treasure Museum.



During the Meiji Period (1868-1911) and Taisho Period (1912-1926) the government promoted Shinto beliefs, a religion devoted to nature worship; a new found liberalism. Many Buddhist icons and temples were destroyed and many traditional craftsmen lost their jobs. But as told in the blog of the historical Gotoh family, they were able to adapt their ancient craft to the production of more practical, daily use and decorative items and their addition of a new big change as the “Hikuchi nuri” process to the Kamakuri Bori art. (See also the blog of the interview of the Gotoh family).


In the Shouwa Period (1926-1989) and until now people have shown appreciation for things traditional, practical and beautiful, and in an era of mass produced items, Kamakura Bori stands out as a functional and esthetically pleasing alternative to the generic products of today.

In 1961, the Kamakura Masters Committee was established and at present consists of twenty-one groups and some 6000 members. In 1979, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry designated the City of Kamakura as a traditional Handicraft Industrial Zone.

A Shishi Mai (Chinese Lion) animal mask hang in the entrance. It was carved from wood and the paint was quite fainted, but they use this mask during New Years to wish everybody a Happy New Year. Or here to wish you a good day or happy life! Unfortunately, but also understandable, this was the only picture I was allowed to take.

First, we entered a work area where three artists were carving pieces, like a very big frame with straight lines, sort of Art Deco style, and a plate with a flower design. They were sitting in front of the windows to make use of the day light.

In the next room, some artists were putting on the first “Urushi” layer of lacquer. One person put lacquer on some beautifully carved big buttons. I also saw some big boxes with wonderfully carved flower designs.

Then we were able to look into some rooms through windows and saw that one artist was putting on a black layer of lacquer on a carved tray. Another person was putting on the final vermillion layer: the Kamakura Red! They derived the red pigment from lava rocks. We also saw some green lacquered carved stools, which were made by a student.

Just to think of the many hours of man work put into creating one piece. Unbelievable!

To the left is the picture of the Shishi mai (dancing) animal carved into a part of an altar at the Kenchoji in Kamakura during origin Kamakura period of Kamakura Bori. The animal is an imaginative animal (lion) and comes from China.







This is a Shishi adorned at one of the gate entrances of the Engakuji, one of the important Zen Buddhist temples of Japan in North Kamakura.






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