More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan

Nehanzo, reclining Buddhas, are the least common pose for statues of Buddha in Japan. At Nanzo-in temple in Sasaguri, Fukuoka, there is ...

I had never been to Colchester before, so was quite looking forward to visiting. It is often classified as the oldest town in England,...

The Okunoin on Mount Wakasugi is in a cave just below the summit. It is here that Kukai, later known as Kobo daishi, practised austeri...

Kubo Hachimangu is a fairly major shrine in Onomichi. Founded in the mid 9th Century, The enshrined kami, Hachiman, is composed o...

Located right on top of Mount Wakasugi at about 660 meters above sea level, the maps and many people call it Kitayama Shrine, but it i...

Mononobe Shrine, the Ichinomiya of Iwami, enshrines Umashimade no mikoto, the ancestor of the Mononobe. His grave lies on the hillside...

By mid afternoon on the second day of my walk along the Iwami Mandala Kannon Pilgrimage, I came to Mononobe Shrine, the Ichinomiya (hi...

Climbing higher on Mount Wakasugi after Kongochoin, I was surprised to find a newish temple though there was none marked on the map. ...

Dragons are ubiquitous in Japan, often found at both Shinto Shrines and Buddhist temples. Carvings of dragons above the main door can ...

On the morning of my tenth day walking the Shikoku Pilgrimage I awoke in Kiki to the promise of a fine day as I headed to Hiwasa and t...