After a few days in Kyoto roaming around you’re bound to experience some major temple fatigue. Unless you’re a tourist well versed in the subtleties of Zen, Buddhism and Daoism at some point they’ll all get blurred into a mish-mash

Kenchoji Temple : Kamakura – Japan
A forgotten temple on my Kamakura temple run day is Kenchoji, one of the greatest Zen temples in the area dating back to mid 13th century. Here’s a bit from the informative Japan Guide: Kenchoji is the number

Visions of Kyoto : Japan
When it became clear that I’ll be leaving Asia to go to the US, I sat down in front of a map of Asia and thought to myself – where is the last place I’d like to visit before I

Meigetsuin Temple : Kamakura Japan
The last temple in my Kamakura temple run on my daytrip away from Tokyo is the Meigetsuin Zen Temple dating back to the 12th century. A very tranquil temple surrounded by green forest trees in what feels like a true

Engakuji Temple : Kamakura Japan
One of the largest Zen Buddhist temples in Japan and situated in a gorgeous forested area in the lovely Kamakura, a day trip from Tokyo, is the Engaku-ji Temple. The temple dates back to the 13th century and is a

Great Buddha Kotokuin Temple : Kamakura Japan
Continuing the temple tour of the magical Kamakura area, a daytrip from Tokyo, is Japan’s second tallest Buddha statue at the Kotoku-in Temple. A somewhat humble temple compared to others in the area (e.g. Hasedera or Tsurugaoka Hachimangu), it still

Hasedera Temple : Kamakura – Japan
Wrapping up my temple tour in Kamakura was a charming little temple with a lot of history, odd worshiping caves and some fantastic views of the Kamakura Hase beach-side. Actually, if you were to have to choose one temple in

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine : Kamakora Japan
Kamakora, a daytrip away from Tokyo, is a magical town filled with temples and shrines. Of all the shrines in the city the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is said to be the most important Shinto shrine, dating back to the 11th

Yuigahama Beach near Hase : Kamakura – Japan
Japan is not what comes to mind when you think about beaches. But in my recent trip to explore the lovely Kamakura, a daytrip from Tokyo, I had the most pleasant surprise. Near Hase was Yuigahama Beach, a lovely stretch

The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens : Palm Beach
What a lovely surprise. In the middle of pretty much nowhere Florida on the east coast are beautiful Japanese gardens that are bound to ease your mind and elevate your spirits. On a lovely sunny morning, the familia set off