The last stop of the Friday's visit to Kamakura was Hachimangu Shrine. The first time I went to the shrine, I didn't make it past the first pathway to the pond on the right because of the Yabusume Omatsuri. This annual festival requires horsemen in period costume and some bow and arrows. They clear the path of onlookers before the show continues. At the time, I got stuck on the far side of the show, so I didn't get to go to the main shrine or climb the stairs to it. On this weekday, there were considerably less visitors.
About Hachi-mangu ... the kanji characters found in the centre of the roof of the main shrine tell a lot about the name. There are two stylized doves in the shape of "hachi", Japanese for 8. The doves are called "mangu". 8 doves.
Above is a wall of written wishes at side entrance/exit. I didn't have time to write one. It's one of my many items to-do for other shrine visits. There are so many different ways to make a wish or say a prayer, I figure I can leave some of them for other visits.
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