Japanese call temples "Tera". It is where statues of Buddha are enshrined, Buddhist monks live, and the Buddhist doctrines are preached. Tera are places where events related to death take place. On the temple grounds, one can find a daibonsho, a large hanging bel which is used for special occasions. People come to the tera for the Joya no kane (the ringing out of the old year), for example. On the temple grounds, you can also find the suibansha, which is a small water pavilion where one can purify oneself before paying a visit to the temple, and a daikoro, where incense is burned. It is said that one is blessed by exposing oneself to the smoke, and that is why temples always smell of incense.. People come to the tera to visit their ancestral graves and to be among the spirits . In Kyoto and Nara, with over a thousand years of history, many tera have become popular tourist sights these days.