{"id":4251,"date":"2016-03-21T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2016-03-21T00:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=4251"},"modified":"2020-03-27T11:38:48","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T02:38:48","slug":"jochiji-temple-buddha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/","title":{"rendered":"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles"},"content":{"rendered":"

A temple has a way of defying time, that notched increment marked to our eyes by the same analog arrows each day. We revisit hours, remember years gone by; find ourselves thinking thoughts from earlier on into the future. Erected in 1281, Jochi-ji’s clock-less tower is the landmark for a timeless temple. Jochi-ji commemorates the past, present, and future.<\/p>\n

\"Seen<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hiking Kamakura, the Jochi-ji temple entryway is a small stretch from the Daibutsu hiking trail’s head, just five minutes south of Kita-Kamakura station’s west exit. Angled at a gradual incline beyond the boldly emblazoned gate rolls a smooth pathway partially shaded by a stand of trees. A ticket booth stands at the top end.<\/p>\n

\"Jochiji<\/a><\/p>\n

Buddha absent at the temple booth, only an obaa-san (a term of endearment for older women) will grant you entry into holy grounds and hand you a ticket. Here you receive a slip of paper proving your purchase, allowing free return to the temple. A waist-high bamboo barricade fortifies Jochi-ji’s front plaza, overseen by the vigilant obaa-san.<\/p>\n

Entering, the steward will tell you to follow Jochi-ji’s course. Marked by arrows just above the ground, the circuit moves forward like clockwork. \u00a0There’s no need worrying about being chased away given an errant step.<\/p>\n

\"Jochiji<\/a><\/p>\n

Jochi-ji temple’s first enclosure is not surrounded by the usual ceramic tile walls. Rather, it’s enclosed by a house of the holy and a bulky-columned tower gate. They, along with trees that would be ornamented with spring flowers had I come later, have enough presence to feel secluded distant the secular world.<\/p>\n

\"Jochiji<\/a><\/p>\n

The bare ground diverts to a woody walk on the right. \u00a0A distant grave-in-grove seems animated by softly swaying bamboo stalks. More immediate and barely bounded by another waist-high fence is a manicured yard by a plainly visibly house. The Jochi-ji temple complex was rebuilt following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, and the sight-sealed proximity to what otherwise seems an ordinary traditional Japanese house makes the view feel like a sacredly-sanctioned peep show. Catching monk movement through the dimly-lit window, I walked onwards.<\/p>\n

\"No<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Toothless<\/a><\/p>\n

The temple path combs a side of Jochi-ji’s living dome of holiness, veering inwards just short of the many gravestones. Burial grounds are coupled with empty hollows, recesses for revenants. Statues seemed to slither in my periphery, larval-white.<\/p>\n

\"Before<\/a><\/p>\n

Backing away from the grove-grave, the trees recede. An earthen thumb pokes out from the forest, like that of a half-buried giant. Seeing a sign, you are directed towards an opening in the dirt digit. Bore through like a nail of stigma, the tunnel crops close overhead, stone swelling shut.<\/p>\n

\"Smiling<\/a><\/p>\n

Coming from out the sediment, the thumb is joined to a hand that cups another hallowed bastion. Grave splints sprout from the earth in even rows. Where the rock articulates to a wrist, we catch the pulse of the temple. In a hollow is a Buddha with a prominent belly. His robes hang down from his broad grin, slackening over a pot-bellied girth. Rub his belly for good luck, and add your touch to the tarnish.<\/p>\n

Continue the temple circuit to its close, past where the earthen thumb pinches the big-bellied place small. The path broaches a graded opening, sand-specked by a couple small structures. At the right is the entrance to the prayer pavilion from earlier, doors shut. I chose to flick my feet through the low gate by the entry booth, a tuft of temple.<\/p>\n

My clockwork circuit of Jochi-ji temple finished after bending my back through the little temple gate, as the obaa-san was sitting inside her booth. \u00a0Then, and again with a revisit, my time with Jochi-ji temple was over.<\/p>\n

Access: From Kita-Kamakura station’s west exit, go south for five minutes. \u00a0Just inside the beginning of the Daibutsu hiking course at right, you will see Jochi-ji temple rising from the forest.<\/p>\n[cft format=0]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Step back in time and unwind as you make your way through the timeless Jochi-ji Temple along Kamakura’s Daibutsu Hiking Course.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":4259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pgc_meta":"","_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[1408,23],"tags":[1254,1255,1307],"class_list":{"0":"post-4251","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-kanto","8":"category-sightseeing","9":"tag-kamakura","10":"tag-kanagawa","11":"tag-temple"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Step back in time and unwind as you make your way through the timeless Jochi-ji Temple along Kamakura's Daibutsu Hiking Course.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Step back in time and unwind as you make your way through the timeless Jochi-ji Temple along Kamakura's Daibutsu Hiking Course.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VOYAPON\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-03-21T00:00:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-03-27T02:38:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ethan Cookman\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ethan Cookman\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ethan Cookman\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2c9155be9a53a7c25915278b3003308f\"},\"headline\":\"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-03-21T00:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-27T02:38:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/\"},\"wordCount\":642,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Kamakura\",\"Kanagawa Prefecture\",\"Temple\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Kanto\",\"Sightseeing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/\",\"name\":\"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-03-21T00:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-27T02:38:48+00:00\",\"description\":\"Step back in time and unwind as you make your way through the timeless Jochi-ji Temple along Kamakura's Daibutsu Hiking Course.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg\",\"width\":960,\"height\":960,\"caption\":\"temple,walk,hiking,nature,kamakura,zen,buddhism\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/\",\"name\":\"VOYAPON\",\"description\":\"Japan Travel Visitors Guide\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Voyapon\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/10162038\/logo_voyapon.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/10162038\/logo_voyapon.jpg\",\"width\":1417,\"height\":1417,\"caption\":\"Voyapon\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2c9155be9a53a7c25915278b3003308f\",\"name\":\"Ethan Cookman\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/11122454\/Ethan-Cookman.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/11122454\/Ethan-Cookman.jpeg\",\"caption\":\"Ethan Cookman\"},\"description\":\"I've had a lot of time to think about my biography. About 25 years. I've also done things like study at university - Hofstra University and Kwansei Gakuin University. When I was a teacher at a children's school in Okayama (Japan), I didn't have so much time to think about my biography. So now I'm in Tokyo, writing my biography. I've been living in Japan for a year and a half, and enjoy puns, music, and sights (both insight and outside).\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/author\/ethan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles","description":"Step back in time and unwind as you make your way through the timeless Jochi-ji Temple along Kamakura's Daibutsu Hiking Course.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles","og_description":"Step back in time and unwind as you make your way through the timeless Jochi-ji Temple along Kamakura's Daibutsu Hiking Course.","og_url":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/","og_site_name":"VOYAPON","article_published_time":"2016-03-21T00:00:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-03-27T02:38:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":960,"height":960,"url":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ethan Cookman","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ethan Cookman","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/"},"author":{"name":"Ethan Cookman","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2c9155be9a53a7c25915278b3003308f"},"headline":"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles","datePublished":"2016-03-21T00:00:42+00:00","dateModified":"2020-03-27T02:38:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/"},"wordCount":642,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg","keywords":["Kamakura","Kanagawa Prefecture","Temple"],"articleSection":["Kanto","Sightseeing"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/","url":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/","name":"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg","datePublished":"2016-03-21T00:00:42+00:00","dateModified":"2020-03-27T02:38:48+00:00","description":"Step back in time and unwind as you make your way through the timeless Jochi-ji Temple along Kamakura's Daibutsu Hiking Course.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/JochiJi999.jpg","width":960,"height":960,"caption":"temple,walk,hiking,nature,kamakura,zen,buddhism"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/jochiji-temple-buddha\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Jochi-ji temple, a gleeful Buddha for time-worn soles"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/","name":"VOYAPON","description":"Japan Travel Visitors Guide","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#organization","name":"Voyapon","url":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/10162038\/logo_voyapon.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/10162038\/logo_voyapon.jpg","width":1417,"height":1417,"caption":"Voyapon"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/person\/2c9155be9a53a7c25915278b3003308f","name":"Ethan Cookman","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/11122454\/Ethan-Cookman.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/s3.voyapon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/11122454\/Ethan-Cookman.jpeg","caption":"Ethan Cookman"},"description":"I've had a lot of time to think about my biography. About 25 years. I've also done things like study at university - Hofstra University and Kwansei Gakuin University. When I was a teacher at a children's school in Okayama (Japan), I didn't have so much time to think about my biography. So now I'm in Tokyo, writing my biography. I've been living in Japan for a year and a half, and enjoy puns, music, and sights (both insight and outside).","url":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/author\/ethan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4251"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}