Hatsu mochi

明けましておめでとうございます。本年もよろしくお願いいたします。

My first meal of 2013 - done in the auspicious red and white. Though I don't think the ancients had this combination in mind.

Merii Kurimasu

The graveyard look

Konkai Komyo-ji isn't a temple so much as a sprawling temple complex. I found this in one corner of the grounds.

When the light hits at just the right angle, the leaves turn into lanterns.

Many of the famous momiji spots in Kyoto are in temples, so going to view the autumn leaves will probably take you to a cemetery at some point.

Here are a few interesting faces from the Konkai Komyo-ji graveyards.

Giant turtle.

Shy statue.

Withered tree stump. Signs of life inside?