Toshogu

 It was a beautiful day so I decided to walk to Toshogu, a large Shinto shrine, and take pictures. As I crossed the bridge on the way toward Yaotome, I could see the mountains. This is quite unusual as they are mostly hidden in the mist.

 Walking past the station and crossing the little stream, I found that the blue tarps had blown off, revealing the deep cracks in the ground that had been caused by the earthquakes.

 Walking down the valley floor, I looked up and saw what looked like a small grave yard. Some day I will have to find a way up there and see what it actually is.

 A bit further on I found a kindergarten, whene the children had painted self portraits and pictures of things and events that were important for their year. There was a separate board for each year.

 Finally I arrived at Toshogu. All along the entrance walk, there were people setting up stands to sell food and souvenirs. I do not know if there was some sort of ceremony or if they would keep the stands there until Golden Week. There are four national holidays in a space of eight days so almost everyone gets a lot of days off. This year Monday, April 30, and the following Thursday, Friday and Saturday are holidays. The weather is usually good and just becoming warm in Sendai. It is a time to relax, take short trips and enjoy yourself in preparation for the rainy season which will start after a month or so of Spring weather.

This is a stele bearing the name Toshogu. It marks the entrance to the shrine grounds.