/tags/temple/ Recent content in temple on Tokyo, endless city Hugo -- gohugo.io en Sun, 23 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000 /posts/hinamatsuri-dolls/ Sun, 23 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000 /posts/hinamatsuri-dolls/ I’m afraid I have forgotton exactly where I came across this display of Hina Matsuri dolls, other than that it was in a small temple somewhere in the North East of Tokyo. I have since read that these are displayed by families on Girls Day on the 3rd March each year to pray for the healthy growth of young girls. I believe that sometimes Temples take old, discarded dolls and display them for a while as a kind of memorial service for them before storing them away, or, in some cases burning them to release their spirits. /posts/roof-tiles-and-rain-chains/ Wed, 29 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000 /posts/roof-tiles-and-rain-chains/ I love Japanese roof tiles. Their texture, shape, glaze and colours are a major contributor to the appeal of temples and other traditional Japanese buildings. Another fascinating element of such buildings are the rain chains, or kusari-doi, that so much more elegantly deal with off-roof water flow than the usual drainpipe. This photograph is of part of the Jyokan-ji temple near Minowa Station. It lies right on the boundary of the Arakawa and Tatio wards which is a fascinating area to explore /posts/jokan-ji-door/ Thu, 25 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000 /posts/jokan-ji-door/ Around the back of the Jōkan-ji temple is a door behind which are stored the remains of a great many women whose sad story is well worth looking into.