Asia
Photos from short transits in Asia, starting with Japan.
Narita
Narita is the city where Tokyo International Airport is situated, quite far from Tokyo downtown actually. But it holds interesting places if you have more than half a day of transit time. One train station from the airport, you can get off at Narita city (Narita-shi) station, and take a street that leads to a temple complex called Naritasan-Shinjoshi. At the entrance, you climb stairs and walk through the Niomon gate under a painted paper lantern.
Modern buildings
The Great Main Hall is huge, not too far from the entrance. It is quite recent, built in 1968, with very strong imbricated beamwork supporting its roof. Along the place in front of it are situated two small temples and a 3-storied pagoda. On the other side are several recent buildings.
At the back of the temple, a platform overlooks a rock face with topiaries at its top. Wooden utensils are stored below the platform.
Park
Walking from the main temple, you climb through trees and slates (graves I guess), one branch is inset in a slate. There is a great park beyond the main temple, with lanterns, water in brooks and cascades or ponds.
Temples
The Great Pagoda of Peace is situated on a hill at the back of the park. Walking back towards the entrance, you see old temples which are in fact the previous main temples. They were preserved and moved to build new main temples:
Komyodo Hall is from the 18th century, Gakudo Hall, its sculptures and pilgrim signatures from the 19th century, as is the previous main hall, Shakado Hall. There are also smaller temples among trees.