Kamakura

On the 10th of July, most students in Jishukan had important exams to sit. So our group of exchange students went on a trip to Kamakura with Ono Sensei. Here, we got to visit a shrine, and see daibutsu or the "big Buddha".

The shrine we visited was Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. The first thing we saw of it was the torii. It is the gate or the entrance to the shrine. After walking through the long path through the gateway, we had to wash our hands and mouths before we entered the shrine to "meet god". The procedure was very particular, but Ono sensei helped us out. 

When we entered the shrine to pray, there were more procedures we had to follow. Firstly, we needed to throw a coin into a box type thing as an offering. Shout out to Xekiel's coin for almost missing the box. After throwing the coin, we bowed twice, clapped twice, prayed for a few seconds then bowed again.  

The scenery was very beautiful and clean. It made me think about how much prettier our own country could be if it looked more "taken care of".

I really enjoyed our trip, and will cherish the memories and experiences I had for a long time. Thank you Ono-sensei for taking us!

Torii gate