Japan It has wonderful destinations and my advice is to visit it many times because just one is not enough. I'm going for my fourth time and there is still so much to see and do! Kyoto It is one of the most popular destinations and this is where you will find Fushimi inari, the site you see in the image that crowns this post.
His photographs are very popular on the Internet so it is a destination that you cannot miss on your trip to Kyoto. I highlight it because this city has many other attractions and sometimes this one in particular is overlooked or postponed. And you really don't have to.
Kyoto
Kyoto has been the capital of Japan for many centuries, from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century to be exact, and it is a large and populous place where the ancient and the modern, the secular and the religious coexist. It is the capital of the prefecture of the same name, in the Kansai region, and en shinkansen or bullet train you arrive in just over two hours from Tokyo.
Thanks to all the gods of Japanese Shintoism, the bombs of World War II did not fall on it, so its architectural treasures have survived to this day and so we can see temples, pagodas and centuries-old buildings.
Just to name a few attractions I would say that you cannot leave Kyoto without visiting the Imperial Palace, Kiyomizudera, the Higashiyama Historic District, Pontocho or the Nishiki Market. Climbing the tower in front of the station when evening falls is also very beautiful.
But today we will focus on Fushimi inari, a destination that is on the outskirts of the city. Nothing far, yes.
Fushimi inari
El Shinto god of rice is Inari and this temple is dedicated to him. To get there you just have to take the JR train and get off at Inari station, the second station from Kyoto on the Nara Line. That is, it is only five minutes of travel at a cost of just 140 yen, a dollar and a half. Of course, do not be confused and take a fast train because it will not stop. It has to be local. Later, the sanctuary is a short walk from the station.
The sanctuary is located south of kyoto and it is the most important of all those that exist dedicated to the god of rice. For this religion foxes are divine messengers so you will see his statues everywhere. The key they sometimes have in their mouths are the openings of the barns where the rice is stored.
It is said that in addition to being the most important, among some 40 thousand sanctuaries throughout the country, it is one of the oldest since its existence would coincide with the conversion of Kyoto into capital in the year 794.
At the entrance of the sanctuary there is a typical door or portico in front of which it is necessary to bend down and clap the palms. Called Romen and was donated by one of the three unifiers of Japan, Tiyotomi Hideyoshi, in the year 1589. Behind the main hall rises or dogs where respect is paid to the deity of rice with the presentation of a simple offering. It is just behind this room that the popular red porch roads, the toris.
It is actually a network of trails that begins in a dense grove and is decorated with thousands of toris, Thousands. Hence the name of the sanctuary. All of them have been donated over time by people and companies, so if you get closer you will see this information, name and date of the donation, in each of them, from behind.
It is estimated that the donation is accompanied by 400 thousand yen if the tori it is small and its value increases according to the size of the portico.
The photos are obviously great, but finishing the tour is no small feat. And my advice is that you do it, even if it costs you. After all they are not more than two or three hours of walking And although you can always return as you go up there are fewer people, more silence and more solitude.
Even if you don't bring food, you can take advantage and rest in one of the shops along the way that serve typical dishes such as inari udon and those things. Worth it.
You will not see the same amount of toris along the entire route, fewer and fewer will appear, but about 45 minutes after you start walking you arrive at an intersection called Yotsutuji. It's halfway to the top, more or less, and from this point there are very good views of the city and the mountains around him. From here the road begins to be circular to the top and although it is not the most entertaining part ... do not forget to reach the end!
Practical information to visit Fushimi Inari
- Hours: it is always open but try not to go too late so that it is not at night. The temple has a time of prayer at 7 am, 8:30 am and 6:30 pm and 4:30 pm.
- Price: admission is free.
Sometimes tourists overlook it because in reality Kyoto has a lot to do and this visit forces us to return to the station and take the train, but hey, it is what we do when we want to visit the neighboring city, the beautiful Nara, So this is my advice: organize a good stay in Kyoto that allows you to know its attractions in one or two days and then plan other getaways or Day Trips: one to Nara, one to Arayishama and one to Fushimi Inari. It is impossible to do all of them in one day so organize yourself very well.