The yellow plastic coin-offering basket is tacky, but this ancient gravestone, half absorbed into the trunk of a tree, is both a testament to Koya-san's age and a metaphor for the usual victor in the struggle between human endeavor and nature.
On a trip to Thailand a couple of decades ago, I remember looking down from the window of a bus and seeing a little Thai girl, dressed in rags, with her baskets of vegetables to sell, squatting by the side of the road.... and wearing a Sony Walkman. First-time visitors to Japan might get a similar culture-shock from this photo... until they realize that Japanese youngsters grew up with Mickey Mouse just like they did.