Yamadera

 Just beyond the one yen coins, I found a group of stelae on the ground and more bas-relief stelae on the face of the rock cliff.

 Walking back the way I came, I took another picture of of the one yen coins. It was only with this picture that I noticed how many were in straight horizontal lines. These coins were on the lines of the bas-relief stelae. At the time, I did not pay much attention to the wooden slats piled at the bottom of the cliff. However, now that I look at them, I see that they have some kind of round wheel embedded near the ends and they are covered with writing. The next time I go I will have to check these out carefully.

 Stepping back to the flat area near the stairs, I could see that a curved shape had been cut out of the stone. You can see the edges on the right and another on the left. According to the sign in the bottom left, this is the outline of Daruma, a Buddhist priest who sat mediating for so long that his legs fell off.

 Here is a picture of the rock face from a distance. It is not very much of a likeness of Daruma but once you know that it supposed to be him, you can see the shape.

 Another long flight of stairs and we could see a temple gate. The pillar-like objects on each side of the entrance hold statues of warrior kings who protect the temple from evil.

The space for the kings was covered with a wooden grill and this was the best picture that I could get. The object on the left is a large replica of a straw sandal. It serves as a good luck token for pilgrims who come to this temple.