Few elements are as characteristic of traditional Japanese architecture as the tiled roof. From Buddhist temples to Shinto shrines and historic homes, the curves and layered surfaces of kawara (瓦) have shaped the look of Japanese buildings for centuries. But kawara are more than roofing. Their forms, decorations and symbols

1,200 stone statues. 1,200 different pairs of hands. One hillside in Kyoto, somewhere that feels less like a temple and more like a gathering. Otagi Nenbutsu-ji is home to 1,200 stone statues of Rakan, the disciples of Buddha. They sit scattered across a mossy hillside beneath