Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines can be found everywhere in Japan. Many Japanese actually practice both religions at the same time. We were told the teachings and practices go hand in hand.
Most of these religious sites have a Torii gate at the entrance. (seen within these first two images) The Torii "symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred". Wikipedia
The gates can be found at both Buddhist temples and at the Shinto shrines, even though they are more associated with Shintoism.
Michelle and I explored some smaller local temples and shrines while in Sasebo. We didn't see too many people at the shrines, but by the look of things they are visited often by the locals. You could see sake (rice wine) left out for the buddha statues and money in the collection bins.
The religious followers come to the temple and yank on this rope with a bell at the top. They must strive to get the attention of one of the gods before praying, lest their prayers fall on deaf ears.
Houses right next to the temple:
It was fascinating to see what other humans have created via their cultures and religions. The architecture alone is very interesting.
Michelle and I recently took a month to travel across Japan and China. It was epic! Follow me @slickwilly and Michelle @curiouser for posts about our adventures!
- All pictures are my own taken with a GS7 Edge or GoPro Hero 4. I release everything under CC0 unless otherwise stated.
