Mar 6, 2011 - Kamakura

Rika, l'amie japonaise de Gaetane avait déjà accepté de nous recevoir depuis la France. Elle habite Hayama, un petit village près de Kamakura, La capitale du Japon au 12eme siècle. Depuis Fuji nous voyageons en stop une bonne partie de la route. Contrairement aux jours précédents plutôt médiocres, nous le sentions vraiment ce jour là et effectivement nous sommes vite pris par un monsieur qui parle un bon anglais. C'est tout de même moins frustrant de pouvoir bien se comprendre. Nous finissons le voyage en train mais nous sommes un peu gênés...

Mar 22, 2009 - Tokyo 4

Apparently it’s been the warmest winter in Japan, but for us it is still pretty cold. Though we feel spring is coming around and cherry blossoms have just started to show off its bright pink colour. Lexi’s been enjoying her life in Tokyo, she goes to Japanese lessons twice a week, she’s got a few jobs in an English pub and café, and also teaching English privately at home, now we have 12 students!! We also join activities planned by city council for international residents. Lexi did a Kimono (Japanese traditional wear) model at Meguro...

May 8, 2008 - Kamakura By the Sea

Kamakura is less than an hour from Tokyo by train, but the atmosphere feels like a world away. With hills on three sides and the Sagami Bay on the other, it is protected from the urban sprawl of Yokohama. For over 150 years, from the 12th to 14th centuries, Kamakura was the military and administrative capital of Japan. After defeating the Taira clan in 1185, the Minamoto family picked Kamakura as a base and for the following seven hundred years the shoguns ruled militarily. The new rulers encouraged contact with China, and Zen Buddhist...

Mar 24, 2008 - KAMAKURA

ALOHA TO ALL: One of the Top 10 places to visit in all of Japan is Kamakura. DAR had come in late Wed nite via Nagoya, from LAX/HNL on standby...it took her 3 days! Even though a bit jejt-lagged she was sport to join us as we met Mr Nagano, a friend of OEP, and YOKO, his interpreter. We took the subway to Totsuka, and switched to JR Line to Kamakura, meeting them at 10AM. Kamakura was established by the 1st Shogun as a Samurai seat of governance. We visited an ancient shrine near the rail station and walked along a wide path built by this...

Dec 30, 2007 - Daytrip to Kamakura

We were up at 9am, and off on our way to Kamakura, about an hours train ride out of Tokyo by 11am, had a bit of a blip trying to find an ATM machine, for such an advanced country they sure don't like to look after the tourists. Took us an hour to find an international ATM and this was in main Tokyo city. When we arrived into Kumakura we were in for another surprise, we thought Tokyo was cold, at least we had the city warmth, I had 2 jumpers on, my beautiful gloves and I was still shivering. It was not good. Didn't have a clue how to the...

Dec 30, 2007 - New Year 2008!!!!

30th Well after saying that we were going to go to Mount Fuji, we had to put it off as we asked at the front desk of our hostel who said that it wasn't worth going a sit was New Year. As all of the Japanese people travel away from Tokyo in the New Year to be with their families. So all of the trains out of Tokyo would be stupidly full and we'd have to stand for the whole journey so we decided to leave Mount Fuji till after New Year. Instead we went to Kamakura which is the home to the biggest Buddha apparently in the world. Kamakura was...

Jul 10, 2007 - Kamakura

This is my favorite spot in Japan. About an hour south of Tokyo, it became the first solo destination. I took the train with no problems and spent the morning at Daibutsu, a 121-ton, 700 year old Buddha. Later I went for a short hike before strolling around Hase Dera temple and the city's contemporary art museum. I headed back to Tokyo after lunch and walked around Harajuku, Tokyo's fashion district, before meeting up with Satoru at Atsuko's place.