Zojoji Shrine, Tokyo

We found this place on our way to Tokyo Tower (not to be mistaken for a jazzed up Eiffel Tower). It was empty and stunning, as a lot of Japanese shrines are, but this one was particularly memorable.

This strange looking alleyway through the woodland might look like a garden centre, but it's actually a children's cemetery, or shrine of sorts.

I know.

Each chubby stone baby has its eyes closed and a sweet smile on its face, and it seems to be customary to knit the statue a hat and surround it with toys and trinkets, such as silk flowers and coloured windmills. It was a sad place to be knowing the nature of it, but it still felt like a peaceful place, surrounded by all these sweet little statues.

There were three alleys of these stone babies that we found on our walk to the tower. All in red bonnets.

And at the end of the woodland was Tokyo Tower itself!