Ofuna Kannon Temple Setsubun 大船観音寺 節分会
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Ofuna Kannon temple's giant, white Kannon statue is visible from the train at JR Ofuna Station.
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This Kannon statue happens to be one of my childhood memories of Japan when I visited from Hawaii. From the tour bus to Kamakura, I remember the tour guide pointing out the statue from our bus and I was impressed.
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If you visit Kamakura, you will likely see this giant white Kannon statue at Ofuna on the fringe of Kamakura. I've passed through Ofuna Station many times, but never got out of the station until this day.
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Ofuna Kannon temple's giant, white Kannon statue is visible from JR Ofuna Station. I finally decided to visit this temple.
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Ofuna Kannon temple's giant, white Kannon statue is well placed and designed to be visible from the best vantage points.
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Ofuna Kannon temple is a short walk from JR Ofuna Station. There's a slight sloping path up a low hill.
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About the Ofuna Kannon temple. Since it was established in the modern era and located on the fringe of Kamakura at Ofuna, it is out of Kamakura's central loop of historic temples and not really visited by tourists.
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Ofuna Kannon temple's Setsubun poster showing Kazue Ito (who was absent) and Jaguar Yokota. Ofuna Kannon temple held its Setsubun Festival on Feb. 1, 2013. This is earlier than the normal date of Feb. 3.
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Gate to Ofuna Kannon temple. Admission of 300 yen is charged, and we got a bag of beans and a little door prize.
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Bags of beans and door prizes at the entrance of Ofuna Kannon temple.
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My bag of beans with a lottery number for prizes.
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Door prize.
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My door prize was a collapsible cup.
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These steps go up to the giant, white Kannon statue.
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Ofuna Kannon temple, Kamakura, Kanagawa.
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The Ofuna Kannon statue is 25 meters high, made of reinforced concrete. It was completed in 1960. Stones from Hiroshima and Nagasaki are embedded in the statue.
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Again, it's amazing how they placed the statue here. Another prime vantage point.
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Incense burner and giant Kannon statue.
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Ofuna Kannon temple's giant, white Kannon statue. For a long time, since I only saw the head sticking out of the hill, I assumed that it was a reclining buddha.
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Closeup of Ofuna Kannon temple's giant, white Kannon statue.
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Miniature Kannon statues for sale.
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Kannon votive tablet
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Base of the Kannon statue.
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Back of the Kannon statue.
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A staircase behind the Kannon statue.
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You can enter the Kannon statue in the rear.
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Inside the Ofuna Kannon statue. There's only one room and you cannot go up the statue.
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Inside the Kannon statue is a Kannon altar.
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Inside the Kannon statue is a Kannon altar.
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Inside the Kannon statue is a Kannon altar.
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Smaller chambers inside the Kannon statue.
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One chamber has barrels of sake,
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Another chamber has small wooden Kannon statues.
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How the Kannon statue looked before renovations.
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Another chamber with origami cranes.
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Ceiling of the room inside the Kannon statue made of concrete.
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You can walk completely around the statue.
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Stairs going down from the Kannon statue.
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A tanuki raccoon dog mascot named Hachi-chan from Hachioji dressed as a Buddhist priest.
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Again, the Kannon statue is in view. Very well placed.
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Hachi-chan from Hachioji arrives first.
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Hachi-chan from Hachioji, a tanuki raccoon dog dressed as a Buddhist priest. 八ちゃん
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Another mascot, named Non-chan ノンちゃん is from Ofuna and looks like a Kannon.
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Other bean throwers arrive on the deck.
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Former Japanese Olympic volleyball players.
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Former Japanese Olympic volleyball players.
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The most famous was Jaguar Yokota, a woman pro wrestler. At Ofuna Kannon temple's Setsubun Festival on Feb. 1, 2013. ジャガー横田
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Actress Michiko Godai.
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Jaguar Yokota, her son, and husband.
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Ofuna Kannon temple priest.
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Bean throwing begins at around 1 pm.
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Jaguar Yokota, her son, and husband throwing beans for Setsubun at Ofuna Kannon temple, Kamakura, Kanagawa.
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Ofuna Kannon temple Setsubun Festival on Feb. 1, 2013, Kamakura.
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Jaguar Yokota and her son tos bags of beans or Setsubun.
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After the bean throwing, they had a drawing for prizes. We all had a numbered bag of beans given to us when we entered the temple. They called out the lucky numbers pulled out of a box by the bean throwers.
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And the winner is number...
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The drawing winners received an autographed placard and a prize. The grand prize was a robot vaccum cleaner from Sharp.
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I scored two bags of beans. The one in the middle with the drawing number was given to me when I entered the temple.
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Afterward, they held something for the kids.
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My Youtube video of this Ofuna Kannon Setsubun bean throwing festival on Feb. 1, 2013.
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