meant to last
The Daibutsu 大仏 from a closer vantage. The statue is of Amitābha Buddha and was likely built in 1252, the replacement of an earlier wooden version that was destroyed, along with its hall, by a storm in 1248.
elemental
Back to the station via some of the side streets, then to the west end of the city on the Enoshima Electric Railway 江ノ島電鉄.
Stepping off the light rail service, the streets were busy with those seeking the best cherry blossom sights under the increasingly ideal sunshine.
As I walked inland to the Buddhist temple of Kōtoku-in 高徳院, I noted footpath signs with escape directions to use in the event of a tsunami 津波, something that's a serious concern for the seaside town. In fact, the temple's Daibutsu 大仏 (“Great Buddha”) was once covered by a building, but it was washed away by the tsunami 津波 of 20 September 1498. The statue has stood in the open air for the 520 years since.