The porch pillars (kouran) from the Japanese Buddhist temples and the traditional Japanese bridges are often decorated with giboshi, bulbous ornaments inspired by the Buddhist tradition, representing a sacred gem.

In today’s photo from the Taiyuin Mausoleum in Nikko, you can see another, less common traditional decoration, representing an inverted lotus bud, called gyakuren.

Taiyuin Mausoleum, Nikko

EXIF Info:

Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Ryoan-ji’s earthen wall