One of the more memorable temples during the project in Kyoto was definitely Otagi Nenbutsu-ji. A Tendai-sect temple in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto, it’s most interesting feature is the 1,200 stone arhat sculptures. The stone sculptures were all carved by amateurs under the supervision of the previous abbot, and each one has its own flavor. One of the stone sculptures is even holding a camera. I located the temple thinking this would match one of the visual themes in our clients’ project. The statues individually are not so impressive but as a whole the impact is real. It feels a bit like staring into a crowd, especially because each statue is slightly different from the one next to it. Of course, one of the monks became curious about what was being filmed and asked about the project. I had prepared some Japanese copies of the project’s infosheet, assuming this would happen. Seeing as the subject matter was The Exorcist and as I could have been slightly more upfront to the monk as we walked into the temple, I became slightly worried that he’d return and ask us to stop filming. Nothing happened. Our clients finished up and we began to head out. It was at that moment that the elderly head abbot appeared and motioned us over. I thought to myself, “damn, he’s going to be upset.” As soon as we approached him he said emphatically in Japanese, “I am William Friedkin’s biggest fan and The Exorcist is my favorite movie.” He proceeded to hand us CD copies of the electronic trance music that he makes in his free time. Wasn’t what I was expecting, but overall contributed to a very pleasant temple outing.