Kamakura

Kotoku-in Great Buddha - go early

Kamakura sits at the intersection of sea and mountain, an hour south of Tokyo, and the contrast in pace is immediate. The city was Japan's capital in the 13th century - and the temples feel it.

The Great Buddha at Kotoku-in has been sitting in the open air since its wooden shelter blew away in a typhoon in the 15th century. He has not moved since. The equanimity feels earned.