Depends on the temple. Kouya-san was founded... well, well over a thousand years ago. It all looks old fashioned. Thatch roofs with peaks and raised floors, lanterns and wood an' sliding doors. Lots of stone and graves and pine trees... couple of rock gardens and statues an' things. The monks all wear orange robes and shave their heads an' eat vegetarian. At night, all the lanterns are put out an' you can see for miles and miles into the sky, it's so dark. Gramps liked stargazing...

There were big old bells up in the temple, and the paths were white gravel. Everything was very clean, about half because I was always bein' ordered to go clean it! The forest around was really big an' quiet. Sometimes I'd hide in there instead of doin' chores. We'd wake up early and meditate and do chores an' learn things, an' do more chores, an' greet the tourists, an' do more chores...

I spent almost all my life in that place. [ And talking about it is making him a little homesick, yes. ]