Hokora at Yamadera

Almost anywhere in Japan, by the roadside, next to Shinto shrines or in the woods, you may see this kind of miniature constructions called hokora. They are genuine shrines, dedicated to minor or local kami deities, and they mark (like the large shrines) the presence of a sacred place.

Photographed here is a beautiful hokora located inside the amazing Yamadera temple in Yamagata.