Kamakura - Ema (絵馬)

Ema are small wooden plaque on which people write wishes. In Nara period (about 700-800AD), people offered real horses to shrines when they prayed for wishes. But since ordinary people couldn't afford to offer horses, they started offering wooden plaque with pictures of horses on them from Heian period (about 800-1200AD).

Kamakura - Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine (鶴岡八幡宮)

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine was re-established as the guardian god of Genji clan by MINAMOTO no Yoritomo who is Japan's first shogun. The shrine is an Important Cultural Property of Japan which exist in the center of the kamakura city.

Kamakura - Great Buddha (鎌倉の大仏)

The Great Buddha, bronze statue of Amida buddha, is a symbol of Kamakura. The buddha has brought peace to the people. The statue is 13.35 meters tall (sitting height) and weighs an estimated 121 tons.

Hakone short trip(3) - Breakfast

Breakfast at setsugekka hotel is Japanese style. It has rice, miso soup, raw egg and broiled fish, et al. Of course, Natto. Eating natto with hot rice is the best ever.

Hakone short trip(2) - Dinner

Dinner at setsugekka hotel is traditional Japanese style, from appetizers, shabu shabu, sushi, tempra, sashimi, to dessert. It is good taste and staff service is excellent. 

Hakone short trip(1) - Good dinner and Onsen

Last week, I went to Hakone, a traditional Japanese hot springs resort. It is about an hour and a half minutes from Shinjuku via the Odakyu Line. The ride up to Hakone from Shinjuku is quite nice. You get a nice view of Mt. Fuji, and also Odawara castle near the end of the trip.


I stayed at Hakone-Gora, Setsugetsuka hotel (雪月花ホテル). In this hotel, I can enjoy five different hot springs, very good Japanese traditional dinner, breakfast. Before dinner, as soon as I arrived, I dressed up in the Yukata that everyone wears there and go to Hot Spring!!


This is Gora Station (強羅駅). It is a terminal railway station on the Hakone Tozan Line as well as the Hakone Tozan Cable Car. At an altitude of 533 metres (1,749 ft), it is the highest railway station in Kanagawa Prefecture.