Photo of the week - Kamakura

Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south-south-west of Tokyo. Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the Kamakura Period.

As of June 1, 2012, the modern city has an estimated population of 174,412 and a population density of 4,400 inhabitants per square kilometre (11,000 /sq mi). The total area is 39.60 square kilometres (15.29 sq mi). I visited Kamakura on a short sidetrip late Summer 2011 from Tokyo thru NEX. I took a late flight into Tokyo, stayed in a tiny hotel near Kita-Narita and then took the first NEX at 6am to Kamakura.

Kamakura is known for its Buddhist temples (unlike the Shintoism which is followed in majority of Japan) and has a number of "big" Zen temples. The famous sites are Kotoku-in and its Great Buddha, Kencho-ji, and Engaku-ji. The Zen temples and their serenity really touched my heart and soul.