Date & Time: Friday, June 9, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Spots: Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha), Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, and Engakuji Temple
Visitors: Italian newlyweds
Guide: 1 KSGG member
Language: Italian
I showed an Italian couple around Kamakura. They stopped over Japan on their honeymoon from a seaside town along the Adriatic Sea in the middle of Italy. I got tense when I noticed my lack of ability to guide the newly married couple on a day trip they won’t forget. However, I had made thorough preparations with the help of a KSGG member. On the day of their trip, we had clear and sunny weather though the rainy season had set in. Fortunately our Kamakura tour ended successfully with photos posted onto their Facebook page, which received a lot of “Likes”. At Kotokuin Temple, the couple was very interested in the custom that people purify themselves at a chozuya, or roofed watering place, before worshipping at a shrine or temple. At Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, they were surprised at a lot of steps. At Engakuji Temple, they got nervous when they tasted maccha, or powdered green tea. Although this was such a short trip, I believe that they felt the traditional Japanese atmosphere in the historic places as well as the city of Kamakura. We spent only several hours together after we had met in the morning. When I said goodbye to them, I became so emotional as usual that I lost my words and couldn’t stop shaking hands with them.