Dou'unji Temple

 This little roof shelters a bench where I sat for a while and meditated. This time of year is very nice because there are no bugs to distract you while you sit.

 A bit deeper into the valley and I came to the meditation cave carved into the rock cliff. There must be some loose rocks at the top because the red traffic cones are meant to keep you away from the base of the cliff.

 In the previous picture there is a black spot inside the cave. That is a secondary cave. This picture shows it in a bit more detail.

 I love these old stelae that covered with moss. I usually can not read very much but I still like looking at them.

 This is a sign that was placed here by the Izumi Ward office. It says that this temple was established here on June 28, 1747, and traces it roots back to a temple built in 704.

The main meditation hall is completely gone, replaced by an empty field. Buddhism is very high on the idea of emptiness, often a subject for meditation, so I guess it is appropriate. This picture shows the remains of a stone lamp that is still lying where it fell during the tremors. It once stood near the entrance to the meditation hall.