The Great Buddha of Kamakura, otherwise known as the Daibutsu, is the second largest monument to Buddha in Japan with a history dating back to 1252. It is placed outdoors in the center of the surround building, the Kotoku-in Temple. The bronze statue was originally played with gold until is was stripped away by a tsunami in 1492. The base of the statue suffered some structural damage during the Great Kanto earthquake back in 1923.

The statue in person is quite impressive and certainly worth taking the time to see. Its size and age is something to marvel at when considering just how ancient the structure is. However, the part that I enjoyed the most were the gardens and the focus on nature. The surrounding area was filled with many beautiful trees and plants, some of which I have shown here. It helps to creates a serene atmosphere that helped to keep myself at peace while we spent our afternoon there. It also helped to bring in the ideals of a temple. To put the mind at ease create that sense of peace that Buddhism strives for.

For me, this was stop was very needed and beneficial for where I was at in the trip. Before stopping here, the stress of travel, the intensity of pre-tour and general anxiety of being in a new country was really weighing me down. Seeing the Great Buddha helped to lift some of these feelings and give me motivation for the rest of tour. The Great Buddha was separated from all the hustle and bustle of the city life and allowed me to find some much needed peace and quiet. Overall the atmosphere helped to calm my nerves about beginning tour and allow me to not worry quite as much for the upcoming weeks.

-Robby Newell (05/06/19)

Tour has Come to an End

We have ended our tour in the same place that we started, Tokyo Japan. It has been a crazy three weeks and starting in Tokyo and ending in Tokyo has almost made it feel like home. I am very happy to have had this wonderful opportunity to be in Japan. Today some friends and I went to Takeshita street which is the shopping district in Japan. It is full of crazy stores there’s food places, clothing stores, trinkets and more! Takeshita street has been a shopping district since the 90s and continues to be on all of the guide books for places to go in Japan because it’s where you’ll find all the crazy things that you might need.



After going to Takeshita street we went to Roppongi, which is an entertainment center, art gallery, movie theater and a place for business. In front of Roppongi is this statue. It is a skeleton of a spider called Mamen, by the artist Louise Bourgeois for her mother, whom died at the age of 21. Her mother worked for her father at his textile business and she died from an unknown cause. “The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother.” ~ Louise Bourgeois There are only six of this spider around the world. It is found in Tokyo Japan, Spain, Arkansa USA, Ottawa Canada, South Korea, and Doha Qatar. It was so amazing to be able to walk around Tokyo and see the wonders it holds.

https://traveltalesoflife.com/giant-spider-art-guggenheim-bilbao/

-Raeleigh Tripp

Thanks for joining the Wartburg College Wind Ensemble as we begin our adventure in Japan! This blog will detail the daily activities and locations of the band throughout this journey. We hope you all enjoy and learn something about a new culture along with the members of the ensemble.

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