Kamakura: Hase-dera Temple - Shakyo Garden

Kamakura is about 50km south-west of Tokyo and was from 1185 to 1333 de facto capital of Japan as seat of the Shogunate. One famous site is the Hase-dera temple. Its famous for housing a massive wooden statue of Kannon and thus also called Hase-kannon. The image above shows the garden in front of the temple's Shoin Hall, where Buddhist sutras are copied (Shakyo).

The graden of the Hase-dera temple is truly quaint. Whereas the main garden is determined by a large pond, the garden of the Shoin Hall is a traditional Kare-san-sui (rock garden). That garden has the power to make you stare at it while losing your grip on time. Don't miss that soothing garden bijou.