Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto,Travel Photo Mondays
Red torii details
Visiting the Fushimi Inari Shrine early morning
Today I’m taking you on a visit to this amazing place In Kyoto, Japan. The temple at Fushimi Inari is very unique in Kyoto, it was created for those worshipping Inari – the god of rice and sake. Also Inari is known as the patron of business and manufacturing and their followers worshipped Inari. The Shrine at the base of the mountain (also called Inari) is lined with over 5,000 red tori gates that lead up the mountain and back downhill. Each red gate is a donation by a business in their name. It’s stunning to see all this from a distance and interesting to walk through.
The many red torii gates leading up the hill of Inari
Along the uphill climb, I happened into a priest with a large white parasol coming down the opposite direction. To good to pass up, I quickly took out my camera, focused and captured a few shots of this wonderful portrait coming down the series of Torii gates. Here’s the shot below, it’s one of my favorite captures by accident. I quietly followed the priest back to one of the lower temples to watch and see if any other moments might happen without my being in his way. – fairly mundane, but I enjoyed the procession of duties and took a few more shots and later continued up the hill to see if I can find a nice vista point of the area.
Priest walking downhill to temple
Bowing prior to entrance
Unfortunately, the stairs and torii kept continuing uphill and I realized that I was not going to make it all the way to the top because of a train I had to catch soon so I descended in a different direction downhill, discovering some peek a boo views of the green countryside. A few large fox statues were interspersed along the paths and I find out later that they represent the messengers with a key in their mouths to represent the rice granaries.
Entry to the main temple at Fushimi Inari shrine
It’s almost meditative walking in between these torii gates, contemplative and quiet. While enjoying the views my mind seemed to focus internally to my own personal thoughts and concerns and nothing seemed to matter outside of this walk and concentration in the paths and stairs.
Uphill and downhill paths of the torii gates
Before I exited the temple grounds I noticed this wall filled with thousands of origami paper cranes. I later find out that each strand contains one thousand paper cranes used as good luck gestures at weddings and new infants wishing for 1000 years of happiness and prosperity to the recipients.
Origami good luck wishes
The fox messenger at the shrine
It was a fun visit to see the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, hope you enjoyed the tour for Travel Photo Mondays. Please come and visit the blogs below for more interesting places and photographs from around the world today.
Please check out these other posts on visiting Kyoto, Japan
Beautiful gardens of Kyoto, Japan
Visiting the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan
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Stunningly beautiful photos (as usual), Noel!
Stunning photos! I love the colors and my favorite is the one with the priest.
I love Kyoto and its temples. You have captured it so well in these photos. I particularly like the cranes and the “ema” plaques: http://travelwithintent.com/2013/01/27/ema-japan-love-luck/
Those origami paper cranes are amazing, Joel! This definitely not your every day fox, either 🙂
Those red tori details – splendid. A blast of color to brighten the start of our week. Thank you…
The colors are so vivid, it looks amazing. How much time would it take to make all of those paper cranes? Oh my!
The gates are amazingly colorful. I love your photo of the priest – a perfect timing and capture!
Fabulous photo of all the red tori gates. I never got as far as Kyoto when I visited Japan. It’s somewhere I would love to visit.
Here are my photos from Turkey: http://traveller2006.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/travel-monday-19-kayakoy/
Just to let you know I’m continuing on my wordpress blog!
Just to let you know I deleted the blogspot blog and am continuing at my wordpress blog! Happy week:)
Beautiful photos, Noel! Those colors are so vibrant they almost ache. I too couldn’t find the link or I would have joined in today – finally back on terra firma!
You do have such wonderful photos – I love them.
just beautiful photos, the blast of color in vigorating
is there a link up this week Noel?
What an interesting place, Noel, and gorgeous pictures, as always. Thanks for sharing. I don’t see the link up, I was going to share my Gargoyles of Biltmore Estate post…
Great photos:)
what an amazing place. The colours are amazing. I love your image of the priest – a wonderful portrait.
Have a great week and thank you for hosting.
This was my favorite place to visit in Kyoto. I could have spent longer there except it was beginning to get too dark to walk around. Being able to follow along with a priest certainly lends to the experience. Instead of a priest, I stumbled upon a bridal portrait session. Your photos are supreme, and, I will admit, better than the ones I took.
I was at my parents’ this weekend and showed all your recent Japan posts to my mom and she enjoyed them very much. Again, thanks for your amazing photographies!
Amazing pictures, amazing places. The colors are so rich! And the architecture. Everything.