On the shrine grounds

Since there had been nothing to see on the grounds of the nearby temple, I decided to spend some time looking around the shrine grounds. Also it was very pleasant under the large trees. This picture is looking straight at the front of the shrine from the walkway that leads to it. I was surprised by the tree that partially blocked my view of the building. Usually the trees a placed so that the entire building is visible as you approach it.

This is one of the lions that protect the entrance to the building. Since the demons that might cause trouble are not physical, it is the non-physical aspects of the lion that keep out the non-physical demons, so a stone lion is just as effective as a real live lion. Some day I am going to have to track down how the Japanese and the Chinese before them learned about lions. They are not native to areas where either of these peoples live.