It is often said by Westerners that Japan is irreligious (for better or worse). Perhaps it is because patterns of religiousity are different here than in the west. If you are a regular reader of this blog you know I enjoy exploring neighborhood shrines and temples on my walks. Besides these established institutions I’m always on the lookout for roadside shrines. In Tokyo, at least, they are in virutally every neighborhood. Here is one I found recently near Ikebukuro. (click to enlarge)
Here is one I walk by on my way to work nearly every day. This time someone had given the statue some flowers.
I often revisit temples with my camera, hoping for different lighting, or seasonal changes. The tile roofs against the deep blue of the winter sky is a particularly nice effect at this time of year. Here is a temple near Ikebukuro Station.
When in England viewing and photographing churches is a great pleasure. Not so in Japan, where they are few and less interesting, architecturally. But shrines and temples more than compensate here. A favorite aspect of English churches is their gargoyles. Temples don’t exactly have the same feature, but I did find something similar yesterday at Kishibojin (鬼子母神) near Ikebukuro station. This little red figure appears to be holding up a beam near the top of the roof.
