[null, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4636.jpg", "src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4636.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4666.jpg", "src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4666.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4641.jpg", "src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4641.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4671.jpg", "src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4671.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4669.jpg", "src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4669.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4672.jpg", "src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4672.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4673.jpg", "src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4673.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4677.jpg", "src": "http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/7715/3228/400/IMG_4677.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-bL5m532epQ/SvdxSo85baI/AAAAAAAAGWM/nLayZ3GkB1w/S220/TJWL.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-bL5m532epQ/SvdxSo85baI/AAAAAAAAGWM/nLayZ3GkB1w/S220/TJWL.jpg", "formatted_filename": "TJWL", "alt_text": "To Japan with Love", "rendered_width": 142, "rendered_height": 220}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bgVSd8mtd_w/TrmcR6_ZDdI/AAAAAAAAG-k/ak74Lt3bX9U/s660/Taffy.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bgVSd8mtd_w/TrmcR6_ZDdI/AAAAAAAAG-k/ak74Lt3bX9U/s660/Taffy.jpg", "formatted_filename": "Taffy", "alt_text": "YARN Young Adult Review Network", "rendered_width": 660, "rendered_height": 352}, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-bL5m532epQ/Se02dessP2I/AAAAAAAAFxU/ZVSyYSdtNeE/S220/award_butterfly.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-bL5m532epQ/Se02dessP2I/AAAAAAAAFxU/ZVSyYSdtNeE/S220/award_butterfly.jpg", "formatted_filename": "award butterfly", "alt_text": "Nominated by Paper tigers Blog", "rendered_width": 150, "rendered_height": 178}, {"document_url": "http://hereandtherejapan.blogspot.com/2006/11/temple-in-small-town-in-niigata.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EL-E1DcDh54/TYbtQTXf6AI/AAAAAAAAG54/DPC-YbVBJ8c/s220/japan3.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EL-E1DcDh54/TYbtQTXf6AI/AAAAAAAAG54/DPC-YbVBJ8c/s220/japan3.jpg", "formatted_filename": "japan", "rendered_width": 150, "rendered_height": 150}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]
November 08, 2006

Temple in a Small Town in Niigata Prefecture in the Fall After going through the gate decorated with chrysanthemums, we crossed a bridge that was decorated with even more. We climbed the stairs to the courtyard of the temple. That's where all the stalls of chrysanthemums were. These are photos of other areas of the temple. This is the entrance to the prayer room. The wooden chest at the top of the stairs is for donations. People put coins there. Then they clap their hands before praying. This bell was in the courtyard on the right of the stairs. It is probably the bell that is used to ring in the new year. Below it is an old fire truck. Hands are washed here before praying. Note the chrysanthemums near the head of the fountain. Click on the label below to see the old post for more pictures of this temple. These towels were hanging near the fountain. My first thought was that they were hanging there to dry. They could be there for people to use to dry their hands. Handkerchiefs are usually carried. In Tokyo, dryers and paper towels are now in restrooms. Perhaps this is their solution here. (Click to see the graves in the background.) This is another box for donations. It is near the fountain in the picture above. This is the same wooden box but at a different angle. I wanted to show how it was built. It has a very narrow slit where the money can slide down into the box. Do you know why it was built this way? As we left we passed by the bridge decorated with chrysanthemums.

Posted by Annie Donwerth Chikamatsu at 7:32 PM Labels: temple

