This is from a series of films by Global Television shot all over world, giving well photographed introductions to various places, of which we will be focusing on the ones of interest to Buddhists.
The films are quite light introductions to their subjects, mainly good photography, well chosen soundtracks, and a reasonable, but sometimes inaccurate, narration giving a cultural and historical introduction to its subject.
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This week’s film looks at the ancient city of Kamakura, which was the de facto capital of Japan during the shogunate period. It is situated south of Tokyo on the coast.
The film concentrates on the temples in an around the city, which are many and various, and attractively built in the zen style which was introduced from China, there are five great temples in the city, which are featured heavily here.
The film also gives an overview of the history of the city and the part that it has played in Japanese history and culture. One odd thing is that the world famous Amida Buddha statue isn’t shown in this programme, though it is probably Kamakura’s most famous artefact.