I had an urge to go out and take pictures last weekend, so despite the rain, I headed to the Jiyugaoka area to see Kuhonbutsuji Temple and the Todoroki Ravine. Photographing in the rain isn’t bad at all as long as you have something plastic to keep your camera dry with and you can get some quite interesting shots.

I took the Hibiya and Tokyu Oimachi Lines  Kuhonbutsu Station, which is just a couple minutes walk from Kuhonbutsuji Temple. It’s quite an atmospheric temple with some nice sculptures and a beautiful garden.
kuhonbutsu path

kuhonbutsu feet

These “footprints of Buddha” are a common object of worship at temples, and the temple doesn’t claim they are  the real things.

kuhonbutsu1

wet flower

Todoroki is two stations away, and it took about 20 minutes to walk there. It’s a kilometer-long ravine with a scenic walk along a river.
todoroki 2

todoroki 4

todoroki 3

At the end of the ravine is the Todoroki Fudo Temple, dedicated to the deity Fudo Myo.

todoroki buddha

todoroki 5

There’s a great site called Must Love Japan that has a good video and more information about the Todoroki Ravine  and a map of the area here: http://www.mustlovejapan.com/subject/todoroki_valley/