Date

2022-11-30, Wednesday

Distance

40.02 km biked (2859.31 km in total)

At just past 5 a.m., we hopped on our bikes to catch the sunrise over Yokohama Port (横浜港), aiming to photograph the early light spilling across the Bay Bridge (横浜ベイブリッジ) and illuminating the iconic Red Brick Warehouse.

After returning to the hotel to pack, our next mission was to pay tribute to a childhood icon: Gundam. We made our way to the Gundam Factory Yokohama, only to find a line already forming outside the gates long before opening.

Seeing the first moving mech of its type up close was absolutely awe-inspiring. During the 12-minute showcase, fans around me filmed with the steady hands of seasoned pros. However, I must confess: while I understand the as-yet physical impossibility for anything mechanical of that dimension and that weight to move fast, I did feel a little bit crestfallen to see the slow movement the full-scale 1:1 Gundam made; it's nothing like the fluidity of the animation. Luckily, the many limited edition merchandise captured my attention, and we were given as vistitor's bonus an assembly kit of this mechanical giant hooked onto the dock.

From Yokohama we headed toward Kamakura. After zigzagging through and getting nearly lost amidst countless tiny streets and narrow pathways hidden in between local residences, we finally got to pay a visit to the Great Buddha — or Kamakura Daibutsu. This majestic bronze statue of Amida Buddha standing over 13 metres was first cast around 1252. It originally sat inside a grand temple hall, which was destroyed by multiple tsunamis and storms, leaving the Buddha exposed to the natural elements. I have always liked visiting shrines and temples, which give me a sense of solemnity and stillness in a world in constant motion.

Our final stop for the day was in Fujisawa, just north of Enoshima, where we checked into a Toyoko Inn. That evening, we wandered over to the famous railway crossing in front of Kamakura High School, the prototype of Shonan High School in Slam Dunk (1990 – 1996) — a pilgrimage spot for anime fans. This coastside location immortalised by the series' opening song in reality is an otherwise ordinary railway crossing near Kamakurakokomae Station. It’s actually on a quite busy stretch of the road, right at the junction of a pathway to the sea — fitting, since Kamakura is also a popular surf town, and surfers riding past on bikes with surfboards slung under their arms abund.

At the crossing, tourists eagerly waited for the gate to descend and the train to come so they could snap their ideal shot with the passing thain. Amid the crowd, a lone policeman hustled tirelessly, up and down the steep hill, whistle in hand, trying to manage both pedestrians and a never-ending stream of cars, scooters, and bikes that squeezed through. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for this officer; it was clearly going to be a long shift.

The full take — 50 more photographs from this day