Kamakura, 50km south-west of Tokyo is extremely popular with Tokyoite day-trippers, and was particularly crowded at the beginning of the New Year with people wanting to make their first prayers of the year. Yukimitsu, Shunsuke, Jen and I survived the rush and made our New Year prayers at Kenkoji Temple, and drew our omikuji or "fortune strip". I received 中吉 for this year, my translation being 'so-so fortune'! We kept warm by drinking Amazake: hot, sweet rice wine.
We took the monorail to visit one of the most famous landmarks in Japan, the Daibutsu. For a more than reasonable 20 yen we were able to go inside the Giant Buddha. It must be said that despite being very dark and not so aesthetic from the inside, it was a privilege!
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Nagano is a prefecture 200km north of Tokyo, and is famous for being cold and wintery. Jen and I, as a last minute plan, took the bullet train to Nagano City where we discovered it lives up to its chilly reputation! At -5'C it was uncomfortably cold... but our overnight stay satiated my thirst for snow after missing the White Christmas back in the UK.
Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City.
It is said that wafting the smoke over your head gives you wisdom. Fingers crossed!
Yudanaka, a 40 minute train ride from Nagano city took us to the Japanese Alps, which have a dark colour, due to volcanic activity. They were stunning!!
A 1.6km walk through the forest on windy paths will take you to Jigokudani Monkey Park, where Japanese Macaques exhibit the unusual behaviour of taking dips in the hot springs!!
The area was rich with boiling water spewing from the mountains sides, and a geyser demonstrated its true power!
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