Hello! Today I am escaping soggy Tasmania to show you another bit of Japan.
Fushimi Inari is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto.
It’s pretty much famous for the thousands of tori gates that line the pathways all the way up the mountain.
Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousand shrines dedicated to Inari – the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari’s messengers, so fox statues can be seen scattered all about the area too. Some foxes will be holding a bunch of rice stalks in their mouths, and others scrolls – presumably important messages.
It was a hot bright glaring day when we went- the colour is amazing! Sunglasses would be an advantage!
It was really good fun to walk up the mountain through the countless tori!
Since early Japan, Inari has also been seen as the patron of business. Merchants and manufacturers have traditionally worshipped Inari. All the tori have been donated by individuals or companies… and can cost up to a million yen each! Names and dates of the donor are inscribed on the tori.
Some of the original structures date back to around 711AD but most are much more recent than that
Meeting the local kitties
Dark shrine on the side of the lake
Finally a bit of colour other than orange or green
As we were heading back down the mountain having fully achieved not getting to the top, but chasing the cats all around because they were cute… I got out my fisheye lens to have some fun with the tunnels of tori
This is really a must not miss place to see if you are visiting Kyoto. Its a short train trip from Kyoto’s main station and it costs nothing to enter the area and wander around until your hearts content!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Cheers
Definitely added to the list! Fantastic stuff, so excited to do more travelling SOON!
Its an amazing country to travel in!