Sep 29, 2015 - 1 min read

Statues and carvings of Yanaka

Stroll round a district rich in spiritual atmosphere

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

Some statues are more recent, others hundreds of years old, grown with lichen

I don't rightly know who this is

A petite Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy

Some of the statues are hiding in the foliage

Another Kannon (and there are more to come)

There's a real serenity about most of these statues

But this devotee looks kind of stern

Elaborate carved dragons in the eaves of a temple hall

There's a lot of greenery in many of the temple grounds

Carving on a side panel of a temple hall

Sometimes you'll find cuteness in among the spirituality

The big golden Kannon at Zenshou-an

In the quaint traditional district of Yanaka near Nippori station, there's a big cluster of shrines and (mostly) temples, too many to name or distinguish here. In their grounds you'll find statues of many shapes and sizes, from tiny cute babies to the big golden Goddess of Mercy at Zenshou-an. And under the roofs and around the sides of the buildings are some intricately detailed carvings, adding to the charm and atmosphere.

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Peter Sidell

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

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