Shinto Wedding Procession

Happy Day. Tokyo, Japan. December 2014. 

My father and I visited Meiji Jingu on a Sunday and were fortunate enough to catch a few Shinto wedding processions. The procession is led by a priest, two shrine maidens, followed by the couple and their guests. The bride typically wears a white kimono and hood, while the groom is in a black dress robe. Looks a bit more comfortable than a white gown and penguin suit to me. 

Big Big Buddha

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Great Buddha. Kamakura, Japan. December 2014. 

"...A tourist-show, a legend told,
A rusting bulk of bronze and gold,
So much, and scarce so much, ye hold
 The meaning of Kamakura?

But when the morning prayer is prayed,
Think, ere ye pass to strife and trade,
Is God in human image made
 No nearer than Kamakura?"
- The Five Nations/Buddha at Kamakura by Rudyard Kipling