Daibutsu Hiking Trail - Kita-Kamakura and Tōkei-ji - Part 1

On the first weekend of the New Year the family headed out on a day trip to Kamakura for a hike. For those not familiar with Japan and the Kanto area, Kamakura is an hour by train or car (about 31-miles) from central Tokyo. After arriving at Kita-Kamakura station and before starting the Daibutsu Hiking Trail between Jōchi-ji and Hase, we visited Tōkei-ji. This temple is famous for being a former nunnery, was known refuge for women who were abused by their husbands, and was often referred to as the "Divorce Temple".

The weather on our hike was perfect, but I couldn't but help thinking that it would have been nice to do this hike a few weeks earlier in December with the autumn colors. Here at Tōkei-ji, the plum and cherry trees in the gardens around the temple were bare and the last leaves from the Japanese maples were struggling to hang-on in some of the warmer spots in the garden.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-Sf2.8, ISO 100, 1/200 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 16 mm, f5.6 ISO 100, 1/200 sec.

This is my friend Hazel's nōkyōchō or shuincho (temple calligraphy and stamp book). The calligraphy and stamp for Tōkei-ji is on the bottom left corner.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 32 mm, f5.6 ISO 200, 1/200 sec.