Just a few minutes' walk from Odawara Castle, Myosenji is one of a number of Buddhist temples clustered together on the eastern side of the town.
It's a compact place, but is home to a diverse range of Buddhist statues: fierce guardian demons by the gate, Buddhist saints and deities around the grounds and the graveyard, a frog and a fierce wild animal, and plenty more besides.
There's also a handsome worship hall, with an impressive wooden carved dragon up under the eaves, and an ornately decorated side shrine out by the graveyard.
Peter Sidell @peter.sidell
I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.
