Saturday, January 31, 2009
The path of a thousand toriis 
Located in the south of Kyoto, surrounded by forestry, the footpaths of Fushimi Inari shrine that lead to the peak of the mountain are lined with more than a thousand toriis (gates). There are statues of foxes everywhere, regarded by the Japanese as divine messengers and protectors.
Jo and I never made it to the top, because we were waylaid by the photo opportunities that presented themselves as we walked the trail.
Little forks along the path took us to countless small altars, probably instituted by wealthy merchants or manufacturers to guarantee wealth. In front of stone tablets they hung prayer notes, burned candles and incense and placed statues of other deities.
And maybe I shouldn't have but I tried to spook the spirits when no one was looking (I occasionally act like a 5 year-old), and the rest of the day was followed by a spate of bad, bad luck.
The snow fell like rain on the ground. We kept getting lost and took forever to find the right bus-stop, sat on that one bus that went in a big loop, and the places we did find ended up being closed for the day. My bad knee started acting up and my shoulders were hunched from walking in the awfully cold weather. Served me right.
Still, Kyoto was love at first sight for us.
See the best of my photos taken in Kyoto here.
Labels: culture, friendship, kyoto, memories, photo, travel, winter
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