set in stone

So we visited a Shinto shrine in Nara that had all these beautiful stone lanterns with moss and vines crawling around them. And they were everywhere. I took dozens of pictures of them (by this time Jess had returned to Tokyo to work, so I was assigned photo duty). They were in every direction and were actually much more stunning than the shrine itself. (Then again, after about two or three shrines, they sort of all bear a striking resemblance to one another, so perhaps the lanterns were just a breath of fresh air.)

And then the tour guide explained that these beautiful stone pieces of art were actually just representations of donation that local citizens make in order to keep the shrine up and running.

Nice.

But let's be honest - these are way better than having your name on a plaque on the back of a park bench. I mean, who really wants strangers' backs rubbing up against their name when their donation can actually outshine a shrine instead? Welcome to Japan. :)