I wouldn’t say Kotoku-in was the best temple I’ve visited on my recent trip to Japan. In my opinion, Zenko-ji Temple and Naritasan Shinsho-ji were probably the most impressive. Still, Kotoku-in does have its charms and I think it is still a worthwhile place to visit for just the Great Buddha statue alone.
My Winter Visit to Kotoku-in: Must-Go-to Place in Kamakura
My visit in January coincided with the winter season but I was fortunate enough to not have gone there when it was snowing. I’ve read that it’s more scenic when it’s snowing but I think you’re still going to get nice views even if it’s not. Anyway, this map of the place was the first thing I saw when I went there.
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If you’ve ever been to Zenko-ji Temple then you might be familiar with this gate. I can definitely say that Kotoku-in’s Niomon gate is less imposing and smaller than the one you’ll find in Nagano. In terms of history though, I think it does have its own story to tell.
If you read my Zenkoji review, you probably noticed that the Agyo was on the left side of the gate. Here in Kotoku-in as well as in other temples, Agyo is actually placed on the right. Apparently, the Niomon gate in Zenkoji was an exception because they wanted the sunrise during the winter solstice to first reach Agyo (since it symbolizes beginnings).
Aside from the orientation, the Nio sculptures here look smaller and less detailed though I must say they are (including the gate) a lot more colorful. I found out through some online digging that the original gate was damaged some time in 1498 and this current iteration was finished in the early 18th century.
Here’s a closer and clearer look at Ungyo. While it might seem smaller, it (along with Agyo) is definitely still imposing and scary looking. On a side note, this gate doesn’t have other guardian deities enshrined unlike Zenkoji Temple (which has Sanpo Kojin and Sanmen Daikokuten along with the Nio guardians).
After passing through the gate you’ll come across this large map of Kamakura that shows some of its other tourist attractions such as the Hase-dera Temple which for me is also a must-visit attraction in this place (just like the Kamakura Kokomae Station).
Just opposite the map is the Ticket Counter where you’ll need to buy tickets to see the Great Buddha. Before I went there though, I took a picture of this notice. This was rather interesting because the English used here is rather archaic. This leads me to think that the Japanese text might be in archaic or Old Japanese as well.
Here are the temple’s business hours and the fees visitors will need to pay for admission. Compared with other temples I’ve gone to on this trip, I think these admission prices might be the most affordable.
After paying the admission fees, you can then proceed to entrance on your right (if you’re still facing the ticket counter). The first thing you’ll then see as you walk in is the chozuya or temizuya. As you already know, it’s customary for visitors/pilgrims to wash their hands and rinse their mouths here as a way of purifying themselves.
A long shot of the chozuya. This is definitely smaller in comparison to the ones you’ll find in Naritasan Shinsho-ji and Zenkoji Temple. That said, it’s not really the size of the chozuya that matters but rather the sincerity of the pilgrim or visitor’s heart.
Another map indicating your location in the park and proximity to the Great Buddha. It’s covered by the map but from this point, you can actually see the temple’s main attraction.
There he is! I will say that the walkway and the whole vicinity look so pristine and well maintained. A lot of the trees have shed their leaves since it’s already winter but the view still looks scenic here.
A more unobstructed view of the Great Buddha. Probably because it hasn’t snowed yet, there were still a good number of visitors here when I visited. I’ve read though that once it starts snowing, there won’t be as many tourists around in this area.
The text here simply translates to Kamakura Daibutsu. I’ve now had a closer look at the Great Buddha statue and I must say, it does look impressive. It looks weathered and that’s probably because it’s been around for more than half a millenia.
According to the sources I read online, the Great Buddha was cast from bronze in 1252 AD/CE. There used to be a Daibutsu-den Hall that housed the statue but it got destroyed when a tsunami hit the area in 1498. I think what makes this statue stand out though is that it has largely been kept intact since it was cast and it has only needed minor restorations for its maintenance.
It is said to be the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan at 11.3 meters. With a weight of 121 tons, I can kind of understand how it managed to not get swept by that tsunami in 1498. Aside from being the main attraction here at Kotoku-in, I also found out that the statue is considered a symbol of Kamakura.
Pilgrims and visitors can drop their offerings in this saisen bako just in front of the statue. Not included in the picture is a daikoro (it’s off to the back of the person dropping their offering) where you can burn incense.
I don’t know if it was just me but I palpably felt a lot calmer here. Sure there was a bit of noise from some of the visitors but the atmosphere was generally serene and soothing. Maybe it was the Great Buddha’s calming and serene presence rubbing off on everyone there? And if you want to visit another serene and peaceful place here in Kamakura, I suggest you go to Hokokuji Temple’s Bamboo Forest.
I noticed there was a pavilion/walkway surrounding the area so I decided to check out the signs here. This basically narrates a brief summary of the history of the Great Buddha statue and the major events surrounding it. It’s impressive how it has withstood not just a tsunami but the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 as well.
This is called a waraji/owaraji and it’s basically traditional Japanese sandals that Japanese people used to wear in the Edo and earlier periods. Of course, this one here is kind of special since it’s not meant to be worn by regular people. Instead, this is a symbolic offering to the Great Buddha to aid him in his travels. Made from straw, this is annually replaced and maintained by the Owaraji Preservation Society.
From the pavilion I managed to get this lovely shot of the Great Buddha. At this point, more people were slowly trickling in which made the place quite lively. That said, the visitors were mostly quiet and respectful of others so it wasn’t such a big deal. Oh and another thing, the small hut off to the side statue is where you can pay for admission to get inside the Great Buddha statue.
Here are some visitors burning incense. There’s a store (you can see its door to the right of the guy in the gray jacket) where you can buy incense and charms.
Here’s the back of the Great Buddha with a small pillar in the foreground. For some reason, the statue looks more imposing from the back. Maybe it’s because of those ventilation windows?
I’m not entirely sure what this pillar is specifically called but I do know that the inscription on it is a mantra. The text specifically reads ‘Namu Amida Butsu’ which then directly translates to ‘I take refuge in Amitabha Buddha’.
This place is at the back of the Great Buddha and the pavilion and leads to Kangetsudo Hall. Much like the rest of the place, it’s very calm and scenic here.
I’m not too sure but I think this might be the first Jizo Boddhisatva statue that I’ve seen here. I honestly didn’t notice it until I pointed my camera at the Yosano Akiko poem monument in the background.
Off to the left side of the pavilion and the Great Buddha statue is the Igarashi Store. It’s basically an open air souvenir store that also has vending machines for food and drinks. If you’re feeling hungry or thirsty then you might want to consider dropping by here.
After resting for a couple of minutes, I eventually decided to check out the inside of the Great Buddha. It’s relatively cheap as I only had to fork out JPY100. I must say, the place looks real eerie.
I think a big contributor to the eeriness could be the light coming from the ventilation window here. If you remember earlier, this was at the back of the statue.
Here’s a much better look at the insides of the statue. I looked up how the statue was made and found that a sophisticated method (for the time at least) was employed that allowed the bronze to be cast in layers.
This is the view of where we got in from the outside. Just a word of advice, due to how popular this is to visitors, the air here will feel a lot more stuffy and warmer.
Here’s a more detailed explanation of the process the builders of the Great Buddha statue used in casting it. I wonder though if there are still people using this technique or if it was ever used again for casting other statues. It’s actually quite impressive how the Japanese at that time managed to come up with the tools and technique to accomplish this.
Here’s a plaque inscribed with a record of the 1925 restoration project of the Great Buddha statue. While I did say earlier that the statue survived the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, its base was actually damaged. This inscription talks of the people and organizations involved in the reconstruction.
The last picture I took of the Great Buddha statue. This really was a unique experience as for once it didn’t involve a lot of walking. Kidding aside, this was a nice way to brush up on the history and culture of Kamakura.
Since I had some free time, I decided to look around the area for other objects of interest. I came across this plaque and was surprised that it had text other than English and Japanese. It turns out, this is a sign to commemorate the pine tree planted by Thailand’s (then called Siam) King Prajadhipok on the 9th of April, 1931.
One thing that I realized is that there are actually a lot of memorials here from leaders of Buddhist majority nations/states. Aside from Thailand/Siam, I saw a memorial for a Sri Lankan president.
This memorial is also from another Thai royalty. According to the inscription, the pine tree (in the background) was a replacement for one planted on the 27th of December, 1902 to commemorate the visit of then Crown Prince Maha Vajiravudh of the Kingdom of Siam.
And that ends my visit to Kotoku-in and the Great Buddha of Kamakura. I must say, the Great Buddha statue was really impressive but other than that the rest of the place was just okay. I wouldn’t say the place (excluding the statue) was bad. Just that it wasn’t as memorable as the other places I’d already visited on this trip. Still, I think that it’s a great place to visit especially if you’re already in Kamakura.
