Pictures of Kamakura

I have made a couple of posts already about the trip to Kamakura - the train ride, visiting the shrine and eating out. Here are a few more pictures that I wanted to post.

Macie in front of the map of
Kamakura. A little intimidating
when the map has no English.

Macie and I before we head into
the shopping district.

It was very surreal walking down
the streets for the first time. So
much to see that you could spend
an hour and only go 50 feet.

When the guide asked if we knew
who this cat was, I said Garfield.
Not Garfield. But a cat that is seen
in front of many shops throughout
Japan. A raised left paw means
welcome people. A raised right paw
means welcome money.

This was a cat seen in front of
noodle making shop. The cats
are found everywhere and come
in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Signs like this are a very common
sight in front of many restaurants.

These lions are often seen in front
of the Shinto gates. Seen throughout
Asia - these are slightly different.
Typically the mouths are closed.
The Japanese lions will have
one mouth open and one closed.
This is symbolic of the Japanese
alphabet whose first sound is
 made with an open mouth and the
last sound made with a closed mouth.

Mona was fascinated by this picture
because of the difference in height
between the guide and myself.