At Aoba Jinja

 Beside the stairs going from the street to the shrine, the first thing I saw was some unrepaired damage from the earthquakes.

 Compared to the Buddhist temples the vegetation along the sides of the stairs was almost wild, looking completely untended.

 At the top of the stairs was a typical lion to guard the entrance.

 Off to the right about 20 meters from the stairs was this structure. I am not sure whether it was a lamp or the representation of a house for one of the gods. Turning right I found another flight of stairs.

 When I reached the top of the stairs, I could see the shrine buildings.

There was also another protector lion between the stairs and the buildings.