Passing Shadow

Whether you’re a Buddhist or simply a tourist, temples are always special places to visit in Japan. The towns and neighborhoods developed around, even after the hyper modernization of the cities, taking great care to protect these havens of peace and nature. For a city such as Tôkyô, it is true that you won’t find many parks, and this is why Buddhist temples and Shintô shrines are so essential to the lives of the many who live around. They’re not only spiritual centers —where people only go once in a while— but true places of life that people enjoy in their daily lives, from early mornings rajio taisô (calisthenics) and their scores of good ol’ grannies and grandpas exercising to the voice of the anchors the same way they have for the past decades, to the legions of salarymen and office ladies having lunch on benches under the shade of the many trees, or the after school/work stroll paying one last respect and making a wish before heading home. How about you experience it as well, and maybe during one of your visits, you too, will see a passing shadow, through those half opened shôji doors.