Fushimi Inari

When visiting Kyoto it is important to narrow down which temples you want to see because a)there is no way to see them all and b)you want to avoid temple overload. After awhile in Japan all the temples can start looking the same. But Fushimi Inari was one temple that I was very excited to go back and visit again.

The grounds are immense and extend up to the top of the mountain. Along the trails up there are thousands of orange torii gates, at times creating a tunnel of orange. On the way up there are smaller shrines and tea houses where you can stop for refreshment (or in my case some kinako ice cream.) The view from the top offers a panorama of Kyoto.





Prayer cards shaped as foxes.



Smaller shrines dot the trails on the way up the mountain.






The view on the way up.



And heading back down.



I think you can understand why this temple is one of my favorites in Japan. It is truly stunning.