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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
Today was one of the visits I was most looking forward to, though I was not so keen on the frustration that I was expecting to feel with other visitors. Both feelings turned out to be justified.
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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
Our trip today was down to the south of Kyoto, and we decided to walk down, which took us past various smaller temples, and through some non-touristy residential areas, which made a pleasant change.
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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
Our prime target though, was the incredibly busy Fushimi-Inari, which is the Shinto shrine with thousands of the orange torii gates.
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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
The shrine was built in 711 by the Hato family and is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto God of rice (and therefore sake). The principal deity is Ukanomitama-no-mikoto to, the goddess for food and rice. The main shrine building, the Go-Honden, was built in 1499 and the Romon Gate was donated in 1589 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
There are thousands of these orange torii gates along trails leading up and around Mount Inari each has been donated by an individual or company, and you can see the name of the donor on the back. They are replaced every ten years and cost between 400,000 and over 1 million yen (£2,500-6,000), depending on the size.
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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
Along the trails there are a few cafes, where you may well see aburaage - or fried tofu - as one of the popular options. This is because it is said to be a favourite food of foxes, which are thought to be the messengers of Inari. This is why you will see a number of statues of foxes, kitsune, around the shrine.
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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
The torii gates at shrine do look incredibly impressive, especially when the sun breaks through the gaps and makes them glow. Unfortunately the curse of selfie sticks is all too evident here, so if you want an uninterrupted view of the gates, be prepared to be very patient.
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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
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| Fushimi-Inari, Kyoto |
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| Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
Our other temple for this posting is the Tofuku-ji temple, one of the five Kyoto Gozan temples, built in 1236. It is most visited in the autumn, which the maple trees are said to be spectacular.
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| San-mon Gate, Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
The San-mon Gate is designated as a 'national treasure', and the site has a number of buildings listed as 'important cultural properties', including the Kansan-do Hall, the Zen-do Hall, and a lavatory!
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| Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
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| Hojo Teien, Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
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| Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
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| Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
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| Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
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| San-mon Gate, Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
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| Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
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| Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto |
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