Doshisha Days

My final ruminations on Kanto concern not Tokyo, but Kamakura, a sleepy coastal town that was the capital of Japan during the 13th Century when the Minamoto Shoguns moved there from Kyoto. Back then Edo was still swamp land. Kamakura is famous for two things: the Daibutsu, a large bronze Buddha that was erected in during the Kamakura Period. A tsunami destroyed the temple that housed it during the 14th century and since then it has remained the largest outdoor Buddha in Japan, stoically sitting through the seasonal bursts of rain, wind and sun.
The other prime attraction in Kamakura is the beach, a beautiful stretch of fine sand that attracts many weekenders from Tokyo and Yokohama. Not only were there hundreds of surfers, there were also some of the most aggressive falcons I have ever seen. Completely undeterred by human behavior, they would swoop down and steal people's food literally out of their hands. Fortunately for me, they seemed averse to happoshu. My friend Miles and I enjoyed some overpriced but excellent sandwiches at a famous Hawaiian burger joint,　and spent several pleasant hours on the beach before heading back to Tokyo. En route, we stopped by a katsuo ramen eatery in Yokohama. I never eat ramen usually due to the use of meat in the soup base, but this place uses fish instead so I gave it a whirl. It was excellent and I do intend to return when I am back in Kanto.
Well, that wraps up weekend that occurred a few weeks ago, so now hopefully I can back on the topics of Doshisha and Kyoto. I have never lived in Kanto, and so Kyoto, and by default Kansai has always been closer to my heart. At the same time, Tokyo is an amazing, dynamic and extremely fun city and I feel that I may one day want to call it home as well.