The weather today was bright and sunny with a big blue sky. This means it was a great day for sight seeing but really hot! The first stop today was the Kamakura Buddha. This is a giant statue of the Buddha in a seated position meditating. The statue is very large and impressive. Crowds of people crowded around the Buddha with many schools also sending student field trips to the scenic spot. The scene was so moving that I wrote a NACOS haiku to commemorate the visit. The Hasedera Temple was the second stop. This spot is famous for the 11 headed wooden Buddha statue that it contains. The statue is very ornate and impressive to see but unfortunately picture taking is not allowed. Finally, the last stop was a Shinto shrine called Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. The shrine rests on top of a steep hill with many steps. After walking all day, it requires a strong will to make the climb. At the top, the shrine has a museum with artifacts from ancient Japan. Photographs are not allowed in the museum, and only very low light is used, in order to protect the precious treasures.