Although the teachings of Confucianism have taken root widely in Japan, there are not many Confucius temples dedicated to the founder of Confucianism. Nagasaki City is home to one of the few Confucius temples in Japan. As I walked into the precincts built in the Chinese style and reached the courtyard, I found a large number of stone statues standing in place of the worshippers.
These were stone statues of 72 sages. They were apparently disciples of Confucius. I didn't count them because there were so many, but I guess there must be 72 stone statues for 72 sages. Most of them had stern faces, as if to show their dignity, but I found a statue with a smile on its face. He was smiling while touching his beard. But it looked like a rude, condescending smile.
Jun 2007 NAGASAKI STILL LIFE | |
BEARD NAGASAKI CITY SHRINE SMILE STATUE |
No
923
Shooting Date
Mar 2007
Posted On
June 1, 2007
Modified On
July 1, 2024
Place
Nagasaki City, Nagasaki
Genre
Still Life Photography
Camera
CANON EOS 1V