From Toshoji to Aoba Jinja

 I was not at all sure when the grounds of Toshoji ended and those of Aoba Jinja started. but I found I could go no farther west along the hill top but had to go down a flight of stairs leading in the direction of the road.

 The sides of these stairs contained very overgrown yards around what appeared to be deserted residential buildings that were probably homes for the priests in the past.

 These steps seemed to lead to nowhere. Maybe the lead to the Buddhist idea of emptiness.

 At the bottom of the hill, there was a place to wash your  hands before entering the grounds.

 At the intersection of the stairs and the street, there was a small building containing a Buddhist statue so I assumed that I was still on the grounds of Toshoji.

This was actually confirmed when I went out onto the street and continued west for a few tens of meters. I found a stele that marked the entrance to Aoba Jinja. Aoba means green leaf or green leaves in Japanese. One of the main festivals in Sendai is called the Aoba Festival.