Stone Lanterns at Sengen Shrine in Shizuoka City!

Yesterday, having some time on hand, I paid a visit to the Sengen Shrine, the largest Shinto Shrine in Shizuoka Ciy.
I had planned to take some pictures of dragons, but to my disappointment they were too few and unintereting.

On the other hand I discovered many traditional Japanese stone lanterns.
They are called tourou/灯籠 in Japanese.
They have been there since immemorial times though candles have been replaced by electric devices nside.

With all the tress, shrubs and hedges around it is easy to create some unexpected pictures!

These lanterns are either geometrically placed in front of smaller shrines or in rows along the many paths crisscrossing the very wide shrine properties.

At night you would certainly need the lanterns to find your way up the stairs to that very dark shrine!
Actually shrines are all either deep red or charcoal black, colors which would both make them invisble at night!

Interestingly enough the small wooden board notice warns to beware of the danger of the lantern! In day time? Unless you want to push it down in spite of its very heavy weight! Or maybe to warn drunk people during the New Year festivities?

Taken at an angle you can see the lanterns in a staggered manner!

Another graphic possibility!

Some of these lanterns are so old they have become a virtual garden!

They almost seem to march around a bend!

Some are almost hidden under the trees of the many gardens and small parks.

As far as I know there are only two types.

There were only a few of those roundish squat types, probably the older kind.

Thanks to the lichen patterns you could say they were all different!

Now, what’s that?

A bird’s nest, probably that of swallows!
It had been left undisturbed in spite of being presently vacant. After all such nests are considered as lucky in Japan, so cleaners see no need to take them away!

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