Yokohama, Japan

Our expedition to a spectacular Shinto shrine, a shopping street, and then a magnificent Buddhist temple in 95 degree heat with 90 % humidity led to Paula’s getting heat exhaustion. We had a great time seeing these beautiful shrines and but it took a toll.

Japan is incredible in its’ proliferation of shrines and temples everywhere that we went throughout the country. At the Shinto shrines there would be an entry called a Tori Gate( large red structure), sometimes several gates in a row through the city. As we entered there would be a purification structure that would have some water flowing through a trough with long handled cups that visitors would use to pour over their hands to purify ourselves before we entered the main shrine area. There were always a huge building that is the main shrine, almost always up over a hundred steps, with other structures that included large prayer wheels, prayer racks and ancient stone obelisks with prayers chiseled into them. Believers come to have there photos taken in front of these great shrines and temples.
The Buddhist temples are all remarkable for at least one very large Buddha statue, some greater than 40 feet tall. Frequently they have multiple statues of Buddha in different postures and expressions.Read more