Jousenji

Jousenji Temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.

There are many Jizo statues here and statues of historical figures of the Singon sect. The Jizo are statues of bodhisattva, a diety "revered among Buddhists, and the protector of travelers, expectant mothers, and children."

"A cave in the hill behind Jousenji, said to have been carved until the mid-Edo period as a dojo (training hall) of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism."

I love visiting temples this time of year. They offer a nice refuge from the concrete jungle of daily urban life. 

Entranceway to the temple grounds.

The monks at this temple have some unique pots that I have never seen anywhere else. 

Growing of the lotus plant is a significant symbol of Buddhism.

I have noticed that unlike most Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples tend to have a more curvature to their architecture.

This a classic, traditional Japanese-style of fencing using various parts of bamboo.

Another statue of statues of a historical figure of the Singon sect.

Although some Shinto shrines will have big bells like this one, I think it is more common to see one at a Buddhist temple.

Temple grounds.

Water well on the temple grounds.

Although actually not allowed, I snuck in a few pictures of the ceiling of the caves where monks had carved religious symbols hundreds of years ago.

Entrance to the cave where the monks used to meditate.

It's easy to miss this temple and it's cave since it is off the beaten path at the edge of a small valley of factories and rice paddies.

Source: http://en.japantravel.com/view/taya-cavern-shingon-historic-site

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Maioka Park, Yokohama, Japan

Interior of traditional Japanese farmhouse.

Traditional Japanese farmer's gear, clothing, and farming tools.

Kitchen of traditional Japanese farmhouse.

Traditional thatching of the roof used on some of the buildings.

Old rice cooker actually cooking rice over live embers in the traditional Japanese farmhouse.

Exterior of traditional Japanese farmhouse.

Exterior of traditional Japanese farmhouse.

Bamboo drying out for later use in repairing fences.

Like the contrast of the two roofs from different time periods. 

Waterwheel attached to the old farmhouse.

A traditional Japanese rice paddy for studying traditional farming techniques.

A traditional Japanese farmhouse with thatched roof.

Exterior view of a traditional Japanese farmhouse with thatched roof.

Many old-growth trees still survive in the park.

A traditional Japanese rice paddy for studying traditional farming techniques. Volunteers and school children help keep the traditional art of rice-growing alive.

One of the nice things about this park, albeit small by western standards, is the abundance of birds that have been able to survive here while the rest of their habitat has been destroyed by urbanization.

If your timing is right, you can catch farmers planting and harvesting rice using the same methods of years gone by without any chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

Several species of waterfowl are said to survive in this park.

The kingfisher is one of my favorite birds. I didn't have the patience to wait for him to dive and catch a fish though.

The other side of the building to which the waterwheel is attached.

Unfortunately, this water is a static display. Would have been nice if they could have engineered some actual water flow for it.

This gate seemed kind of useless since you could simply walk around it through the gap on the right!

Surprised that the even preserved this old street lamp in the park. Makes one feel like they've gone back in time.

I love shots of old stairs or steps, especially wooden ones or those made of huge slabs of stone.

Hand-made fencing using different parts of the bamboo grass in the traditional way of the Meiji period. 

This wall has been nicknamed "hebi danchi" (蛇団地) because so many snakes gather here to warm up under the sun.

Turtles basking in the sun. The pond was completely red. Maybe some kind of algae?

There are several signs throughout the park warning visitors about these snakes!

The park has several rest areas and picnic tables where you can take a break and relax or have a bite to eat. This is especially good during the hot and humid summer months!

Even the fencing is hand-made the traditional way of the Meiji period.

Even the brooms are a simple bunch of bamboo tops bundled together.

Love the contrast in the leaf colors in this park.

This pull-cart, which looks like it's from the Showa period seems out of place with everything else from the Meiji period.

Hand-made fencing using bamboo in the traditional way of the Meiji period.

Hope to have a chance to take a picture of this old farmhouse during winter when the roof is covered with snow.

Like the attention to detail that was spent to lay these stones for a nice effect without the use of mortar.

Like the attention to detail that was spent to lay these stones for a nice effect without the use of mortar.

Traditional Japanese farmer's gear, clothing, and farming tools.

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Kugenuma Beach Enoshima Island

Found some old shots I took of when I was hanging out at the beach. On some days you can even see Mt. Fuji if the skies are clear.

The beach was unnaturally clean on this day. Once the summer crowds hit the beaches, garbage piles up everywhere! 

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.