The calm before the storm

Tomorrow morning I leave for the workshop/tour that I have come over to Japan for so today I took advantage of the gorgeous crisp day in Tokyo to try and find out something about the city. I always find that walking a city is the best way to find the hidden things that you wouldn't get to see if you took public transport everywhere. However, I didn't count on the vastness of Tokyo and I ended up walking about 15 miles with cameras on my back but it was certainly worth it.

One of the first locations I was hunting out was the Zōjō-ji Temple which is a buddhist temple from first erected in 1590 and now sits below the second tallest structure in Japan, The Tokyo Tower. There is a great shot that could be taken contrasting the ancient with the modern but this smaller detail shot of a burial shrine behind the large temple appealed most of all to me.  By the side of each grave family members place a Sotoba which is a wooden stave bearing the name of the deceased and new ones are added on memorial days. and in front of the sotoba were flowers which nicely offset the Kanji writing on the boards.

Tomorrow you can expect monkey photos and the same again on Tuesday but I guarantee there shall be cuteness!