Yokohama & Kamakura 🇯🇵

After Tokyo I went to Yokohama, a somewhat quieter and small city but only 30km from Tokyo. Later in the morning I took the train to Yokohama. When I got there, I checked into the hostel and then headed into the city. First I looked for a place for my breakfast and found a small viewing point with a view over the city. Yokohama is known for the largest Chinatown in the world and of course I wanted to take a look at it first. There are huge colorful gates at every street entrance and exit to Chinatown, so you know straight away that you are now in Chinatown. I first walked through and took in the sights and smells. Afterwards I walked further through the city until I reached the sea/harbour and then I sat there for a while and just enjoyed the sun by the sea. Afterwards I looked at the old Brickstone Warehouses, which are also quite well known in Yokohama. But to be completely honest that's all Yokohama has to offer. It's definitely more of a residential area than a tourist area. In the evening I went back to Chinatown to eat there. The next day I went a little further south of Tokyo to Kamakura. Kamakura is known for its huge copper Buddha statue. The train from Yokohama to Kamakura only takes about 40 minutes, making it perfect for a day trip. I started my day in Kamakura at a shrine (temple) surrounded by forest and bamboo surrounded by crowds of tourists. I had breakfast there and really enjoyed the peace and quiet. The temples here in Japan are so different from the temples you see in the rest of Asia. Many temples here are of course Shinto shrines and not Buddhist temples, but even the Buddhist ones here are not surrounded by gold and kitsch. They are all very, very simple with wood and rather very dark. Most of them can only be viewed from the outside. They are largely surrounded by trees and in a green oasis, even if they are in the middle of the city. Afterwards I took a short walk into the city through the residential areas of Kamakura, something that not many people have done before me, judging by the looks of the locals. To warm up, I sat down in a nice little café with a matcha latte. Matcha is very popular and well-known in Japan. You can get everything with matcha from cake to ice cream to pizza. Afterwards I looked at the largest and most famous shrine in Kamakura. Despite all the tourists, it was really worth seeing and I was lucky and was even able to take a quick look at part of the trade fair. I then went on to the large Buddha statue. Even though I have seen many Buddhas and always have one hanging around my neck, I still like them again and again. This Buddha is the 2nd largest in Japan and stands outdoors with a view of the sea from above. I then went on to the sea and enjoyed the time there until sunset and I made my way back to Yokohama. The beach was surprisingly full of locals doing their beloved photo shoots or just hanging out there. One even tried his luck at surfing, but unfortunately there were no waves at all. The next day I went further north to Nagano. 🫶🏼