Shoutoku Taishi - things near by.

For those that are curious, I live out in the middle of nowhere.  It's really quite beautiful.  Today I went out biking and hiking.  These pictures are mostly from a mountain in Ono Chou, a town that is about an hour and a half bike ride from me.

 The  path is filled with ancient graves of Daimyo - land owners of the past(last picture)

 The nature is beautiful.  Now that it's fall, the leaves are starting to change colors.  The statue here is of Shoutoku Taishi, an emperor from around 600 AD, known especially for his Buddhist activities.  He has had a bit of a cult following over the centuries.

The woods are filled with these cool wood carvings. I'm pretty sure all the cool people hang out in the mountains.  I've seen skateboarders, shamisen players, and there are wood carvers too.  Nature is a truly awesome!