The vermilion torii gates at the Fushimi Inari Shrine in southern Kyoto.
One of the recommended tourists spots in Japan is the Fushimi Inari Shrine which is also considered as the most important shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. The shrine also serves as a gateway leading to the wooden forest of the sacred Mt. Inari which stands 233 meters above sea level.
From Osaka we went straight to Kyoto which is less than 15 minutes by shinkansen or 30 minutes by local train. Here's the gang with Kyoto Tower in the background. :)
We headed straight to Inari which is the second station from Kyoto along the JR Nara Line.
The shrine is across the station so upon arrival you will see this giant torii gate called Romon Gate. Behind it stands the Honden building which is the main building of this shrine.
Torii gates are donations by individuals and companies. You might notice the writings on the back of each gate, these are the names of donors and date of donation. According to Japan-Guide.com, donors pay around ¥400,000 for a small sized gate and increases to over ¥1,000,000 for a large gate.
Torii gates are made of wood and painted with a bright red orange color (vermilion).
It's a bit of a struggle to take photos ha. You gotta have skills or a fast camera to take that solo shot! Haha.
We didn't bother hiking to the summit of Mt. Inari because we didn't have that much time and it was too damn cold to do so anyway. Picture picture na lang coz kahit san ka tumingin madaming maganda sa Japan. Hahaha.
Speaking of maganda, we found locals dressed in their beautiful kimonos.
No need to shoot ng patakas, just ask and they will happily oblige. ;)
These small wooden plates are called Ema. Shrine visitors write their wishes on these plates and then leave them at the shrine in the hope that their wishes come true. Most people wish for good health, success in business, passing entrance exams, love or wealth.
After our short trip to Inari we are back in Kyoto station where we had katsu lunch at Wako (Tonkato Wako or Tonkatsu Wako) before heading to Arashimaya. ;)
