We visited the most popular tourist attraction in Japan. It was hot, muggy and packed with visitors from all around the world. We are not used to being around so many people and the experience was diminished by the crowds. There are over 30,000 Shinto shrines in Japan and traditionally people gather to pray for bountiful harvests, business prosperity, the safety of their home and family. This iconic shrine, built 1300 years ago is now a must see Kyoto instagram moment. I did not see a lot of praying happening. Despite the crowds I was able to capture the beauty of the space in small moments. I can only imagine how peaceful and special this place would be quiet and empty of loud tourists.
We saw Japanese and western tourists wearing Kimonos. Traditional Kimono dress is on the decline in Kyoto, so in an effort to bring back the practice the city subsidizes establishments to give a discount if you are wearing a Kimono.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is the largest Shinto shrine in Japan. It is dedicated to the goddess of rice Inari and more broadly to wealth. The beautiful complex unveils through a walk in a valley delineated by thousands of vermilion torii gates. The path up the mountain gets less crowded the higher you get but we ran out of steam an hour in.
Tradition says the Shinto kami Inari sends messages by fox—きつね or 狐 in Japanese—pronounced key-tsu-neh in English.
Foxes—including those directly serving Inari—may help or hurt, provide benevolence or malevolence. Coming and going with little notice, they receive both credit and blame for things they may or may not do.
While they can shift their shapes—they like masquerading as humans for mischief—they must always speak the truth.
The torii gates are funded by wealthy businessmen and corporations, on the back of each of the structures, the patron’s name and date of installation are written. It costs between $1,200 and $10,000 for the most visible, and with a several-years long waiting line to see it built. Not being able to read Japanese, the aesthetic is not lost to simple advertising:)
Bochner Family Adventure 