Kamakura Kannon

Been there, done that. Thankfully without a mask.

Happy New Year, Japan. Wish I could join you, but J-GOV doesn't like fully vaccinated Canadians. But my friends in Sendai, Yokohama, and Kanazawa still do. And that keeps me going.

@RA, You can't just tell those things to statue in Asia. You got to respect the culture there, otherwise it will be tough for you to settle there. Try to cope with it on culture cases.

The tenor of commentary, so-called Canadian being personally persecuted by 'Japan' and a cultural critic offering banal observations on a culture that is essentially atheist and the purport of prayer. Which begs the question, does Canada even have a kulchur?

Once you see the yonic imagery, you can't unsee it.

Kamakura is one of my favorite places in Japan, beyond my time living a while in beautiful Kyoto. With the help of a loved one, we conducted a 49 day memorial ceremony for my beloved deceased fiance there in September 2010. https://youtu.be/rabCs2YL9LQ

Rolf Anderson

Who are these people offering prayers to? A giant stone statue? Buildings made of wood?

The article says "Kannon (Bodhisattva)." The image/statue is just a symbol to the Kannon, a Bodhisattva, to whom people offer prayers. Just like a picture of your loved one is not a person but a symbol to the person. When you say "I love you" to such a picture, you are not saying to the picture but to a person the picture represents.