On a trip to Japan last October I visited the Fushimi Inari temple in Kyoto. A big banner at the entrance proudly proclaimed that it was the most-popular site with foreign visitors for 2 or 3 years running according to Trip Advisor. The number of visitors on that weekday was testament to this claim, however, the site is very extensive, and probably a majority of tourists don't actually make it all the way to the top of the mountain, so don't be put off. It is very accessible from the Kyoto train station (Kyoto-Eki in Japanese), just 2 or three quick stops by a local JR train. Then it's a quick walk across the street to the entrance.
Fushimi Inari is probably most well-known for its vermillion-colored "tori" (Shinto gates) which line the pathway to the summit of the mountain. Each tori actually represents a donation to the shrine, mostly from businesses; a key principle of the shrine is to implore the good favor of the gods for the success of one's business. Early on this was particularly the business of growing rice, and a feature of the place is the many statues and images of foxes which hold a key to the rice granary in their mouths. It is believed that the fox intercedes between the businessman or woman and the gods.
Anyhow, please visit it you get a chance, and be sure to climb the entire way to the top. I saw many "obaachan" (grandmothers) making their way all the way to the top, so if they can do it, you can do it! Allow yourself a couple of hours for your visit.
I posted a few of the photos I took at Fushimi Inari Taisha to my Facebook page, which you can visit here:
Photos of Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto, Japan
As an Amazon Associate and Google Adsense publisher, I earn from qualifying purchases and ads
January 18, 2016
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Visit my Store at Redbubble
Search
Featured Post
Little Old Lady Skateboarding Graphic Merchandise
My little old lady let's nothing get in her way. No glass ceiling is too high nor too thick to break through! Now she's taken up ska...

Most-Popular Posts in the Last 7 Days
-
Bald Eagle and Great Blue Herons. Photo: Bonnie Block/Audubon 2016 Photography Awards Grand Prize winner The Audubon Society just annou...
-
Turtles and shark tooth patterns are common in tattoos from the Polynesian islands of the South Pacific. This guy at Pasifika in Auckland ...
-
My little old lady let's nothing get in her way. No glass ceiling is too high nor too thick to break through! Now she's taken up ska...
-
Do you remember how a couple of years ago the expression "The Digital Divide" was in vogue? It referred to the "haves" a...
-
The yucca were starting to bloom on my visit to Anza-Borrego Desert. This flower head was heavy with creamy-colored blooms. It struck me ho...
-
Here's another shot of the fountain on the plaza at the Getty Center taken at night. Here's my other photo of the fountain on the pl...
-
I just got back from a 3-week trip "home" to New Zealand and of course took a lot of photos while I was there which I look forwar...
-
Bird of Paradise flower on black background with Orton effect. Someone told me this is "very 1980s - very colorful". I gues...
-
Picture of a Giant Swallowtail Butterfly Are you on the hunt for some beautiful butterfly pictures? If so, please check out my portfo...
-
Waterlily - Toned (c) John Corney 2009 Waterlily rendered in black and white with yellow split-toning. Subscribe by email Your subsc...
No comments:
Post a Comment