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Published: September 15th 2009
Kamakura and Yokohama
Many of Japan's cities offer a Free Guide service, an opportunity for visitors to be shown around the various points of intersetin the city, and in return an opportunity for the guides to perhaps practice their English and learn about different cultures.
It was through such a service, the Tokyo Free Guide, that I met Nori and Maria. Nori is a Japanese man who has been volunteering as a guide for several years. He lives in Yokohama, not far out of Tokyo, and through his guide work his guidework his English is quite good. Maria, his girlfriend, is a Bolivian of Japanese descent who came to Japan last year to learn more about her culture. She is learning Japanese whilst here, but is fluent in English and of course Spanish.
We arranged to meet at Yokohama station, and from there we travelled by car to Kamakura.
Kamakura is an ancient town, a small village by the sea about 40km southwest of Tokyo. It has many temples and shrines that are designated at national treasures, and can be considered as the birthplace of the samurai way of life.
It is a very pretty place,
and actually reminded me of the little German villages along the Rhine river.
We explored the small streets around the village, and visited the main temple at the top of the hill, where we were fortunate enough to catch the procession from a traditional Japanese wedding.
We later journeyed in the car along the coast and back towards Yokohama, where after going to a local shopping mall, we decided to go bowling!
Bowling finished, we drove to Yokohama bay and walked along the main stretch at night. Yokohama is Japan's largest port, with a traumatic history. In 1923 the entire city was destroyed by an earthquake, and it took 6 years to rebuild. It also played a prominent part in WWII, being the centre for allied occupation after the war, and the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur before he moved to Tokyo.
It was a long day, reaching the hotel after midnight after a final dinner in Yokohama, but definitely one of the highlights of my trip so far.
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ashley nathan
non-member comment
hi im going to tokyo
i would like to know where i could arrange one of these free guides it would be a great help if you could aid my journey as i am currently very nervous about language barriers thanks