A Beautiful Day for a Hike

We planned to hike up Mt Inari on the back side of the Fushimi Inari Shrine known for its thousands of red gates. Naru was our guide and had lead this tour over two hundred times. He was so knowledgeable and engaging. We were joined by Jason and Teigen from Melbourne. A nice little group for our hiking adventure. We began in a neighborhood with some fun sights.

These are Jizo statues in front of a neighborhood Buddhist temple. They have hydrangea hats on and in the winter Grandmas knit them beanies to keep them warm.

Charred timbers were used on this house. The texture and color was so unique.

When walking under a Tori gate go to the left. Leave the center for the Gods.

Naru received lots of hot photo tips shooting photos for multiple teen aged girls on his tours.

Temples worship one deity, Buddha. A Shinto Shrine respects Nature and believe spiritual powers exist in Nature. Many deities, animals and spirits are acknowledged. There are as many as 800 different deities holding various stories and values of the Shinto beliefs.Fushimi Inari is a Shinto Shrine.

Hundreds of years ago the shrine and gates were sponsored by farmers’ rice instead of money. Foxes are revered because they hunted the mice who ate the stored rice at the shrine. Statues of foxes are everywhere guarding the gates.

We started meeting the crowds who entered the Shrine from the other side. Throngs of people climbing the stairs under the Tori gates. We ended our tour where they started.

View of Kyoto from a middle site on the mountain.

Once a year a Fire Ceremony takes more than ten thousand smaller gates and sticks with wishes contained and burn them to rise to the Gods for fulfillment and gratitude.

A Beautiful Day for a Hike

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