Romon Gate

Front view of the romon two-story gate.

Side view of the gate.

Intricately carved and painted parts halfway up the gate.

Nezu Shrine, Tokyo

Moss and Poles

Not quite sure, but maybe one of the priests or groundskeepers live in this old Japanese-style building. Like how they use a simple bamboo pole to indicate a non-obtrusive gate to keep tourists out.

I like the simple but intricate woodwork of Shinto shrines and their associated buildings and other structures.

One nice thing about Japan is that it is so humid and wet that moss can easily grow just about anywhere. Makes for a beautiful green carpet!

It's not uncommon to see poles used to support old trees that would otherwise collapse under their own weight or break apart during a severe typhoon.

Nezu Shrine, Tokyo

Torii

They had stopped cooking food at the stalls when we arrived. Maybe due to the bad weather or we were too early in the afternoon. This is a shot of the larger torii gate at one of the entrances to the shrine grounds.

Nezu Shrine, Tokyo

Lanterns

I love the stone lanterns that can be found at almost any respectable shrine. Have yet to ever see one with actual lights or candles put inside.

Nezu Shrine, Tokyo

Slabs

I wonder how men were able to haul these big slabs of stone for the steps back in a time without modern construction equipment. 

Nezu Shrine, Tokyo

Symmetry

These steps lead up to another small shrine on the same grounds as the main hall. Trying to take a symmetrical shot in the rain was a bit hard.

Nezu Shrine, Tokyo

Steps

Edited this shot a little bit to brighten it up. It was raining so hard and was quite dark this afternoon.

Nezu Shrine, Tokyo