[Spots] Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Hasedera Temple, and Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha)
[Visitor] 1 German
[Attendant] 1 KSGG member
[Language] English
He visited Japan for the first time to take company training. He said that he lives in the suburbs of Frankfurt and would leave Japan on the following day. Fortunately it was nice weather that day, which was unusual for me because I was called “a rain man”, who brings rain with him wherever he goes. We started strolling around Kamakura comfortably because it was calm and warm. At Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, hamaya (ritual arrows to drive away devils) were being burned as people returned their old hamaya to the shrine during their first visits there. I explained the ritual to him. At Hasedera Temple, we saw Japanese allspices, which usually bloom at this time of year, as well as red and white Japanese apricots, which already started to bloom. He took lots of pictures in various spots so that he could show them to his family. When I asked him about his life in Germany, he showed me some pictures of his family, who looked very happy and peaceful. He said that their life hadn’t changed so much though the public safety in the urban area got worse to some extent. I was worried about the traffic jam from Kotokuin Bus Stop to Kamakura Station as it was Saturday, but we could reach Kamakura Station in the same amount of time as on weekdays. Then we said good-by at Yokohama Station.