Fushimi Inari Taisha in Japan

Shima · March 14, 2008

You may recognize this shrine from the scene that was filmed in Memoirs of a Geisha with the young version of Saiyuri running through all the tori gates.

Although the film didn't show that Fushimi Inari is on a mountain, I can assure you that it is with plenty of stairs! I am proud to say that I hiked all the way to the top and back around again (since it makes a nice oval so you don't have to take the same route back) and through the thousand gates all over the mountain. Here are some of my favorite shots from there.

Date: March 9th, 2008
All were taken with my Rebel XTi body and Canon 24-105 f4/l is lens.

This shrine is also known for it's numerous fox gods:

Which way?

Hello incline:

And more incline:

On the second peak from the top I found a bunch of wild cats:

This one was especially adorable:

After making it to the top I took a moment to look back on our climb down:

And lastly, a view from up top:

The entire gallery is here:
htt p://photos.cath offman.com/gallery/4430327_RD7nZ

Thanks for looking!

I'll post more highlights of places visited later

anwmn1 · March 14, 2008

WOW what an awesome place to have visited.

Really like the first three shots.

Shima · March 14, 2008

anwmn1 wrote:

WOW what an awesome place to have visited.

Really like the first three shots.

Thanks I'm contemplating which of the first three to frame presently lol

Giphsub · March 14, 2008

Great place. I really like it there. Cool shots

Are you living in/near Kyoto?

Shima · March 14, 2008

Giphsub wrote:

Great place. I really like it there. Cool shots Are you living in/near Kyoto?

I was doing research in and around Kyoto from March 1st-11th. I'm back in Indiana now

ian408 · March 14, 2008

These gates are impressive. From the steps and the gates themselves, it
looks like you might reflect as you walk through them.

Do you know what they symbolize?

Shima · March 14, 2008

ian408 wrote:

These gates are impressive. From the steps and the gates themselves, it
looks like you might reflect as you walk through them.

Do you know what they symbolize?

Torii Gates mark the entrance to shinto shrines all over Japan. Having so many in one place here might indicate a sort of purification one oneself, but I'm purely speculating. Generally you purify with water before entering a Shinto shrine, and there are several places along the way at Fushimi Inari to do so.

I do know that each torii is donated by various people. On each it tells what year during what emperors rule (as well as month and day) of the donation of the gate... and then it also states the company / person's name of the donator.

Moogle Pepper · March 14, 2008

Those gates are making me crave pocky...

I really like the Which Way photo! It would have been humorous, well to me, if you or someone you know were in the other side looking confused to which way to go, as the other lady is leaving!

I think you got them at an inconvenient time!

Keep on posting them!! PRONTO!

Shima · March 14, 2008

Moogle Pepper wrote:

Those gates are making me crave pocky...

I really like the Which Way photo! It would have been humorous, well to me, if you or someone you know were in the other side looking confused to which way to go, as the other lady is leaving!

Keep on posting them!! PRONTO!

What makes the which way part MORE confusing is that you CAN go either way. I learned that if you're heading up to the top you want to go in the direction where you are heading to the top of the mountain you take paths that have only one kanji character on each side... if you are going back down, you take paths which have the donation year and name on them. Makes it really disorientating when you're not sure which path to use and both go in the same general up or down direction!!

Shima · March 14, 2008

Moogle Pepper wrote:

I think you got them at an inconvenient time!

Oh and that fatter cat was REALLY mean to the other smaller cat!!! The small cat was just standing around and the bigger one would pounce and attack out of no where! It was terrible but I couldn't stop watching...

squiddd · March 18, 2008

Intersting gallery

. Cats are adorable.
I also visited Fushimi Inari several weeks ago. I only had 2 days to spend in Kyoto, but Fushimi Inari is one of the few places I decided to go to. I also went to kinkakuji, kiyomizu terra and Gion district. I missed nijo catle and lots of other interesting places

. Well, maybe next time (if there will ever be...)

Shima · March 18, 2008

squiddd wrote:

Intersting gallery. Cats are adorable.
I also visited Fushimi Inari several weeks ago. I only had 2 days to spend in Kyoto, but Fushimi Inari is one of the few places I decided to go to. I also went to kinkakuji, kiyomizu terra and Gion district. I missed nijo catle and lots of other interesting places. Well, maybe next time (if there will ever be...)

Awesome, you chose some very great places to go. We were stationed in Kyoto for our hotel, so got to see the same places you mentioned. This time I did not get to go to Nijo, but when I was in Japan 3 years ago I saw it... if you ever get a chance to go again, I recommend it since the nightingale squeaky floors are kind of neat and the campus grounds are vast and very nice if anything is flowering when you visit.

dank-photo · March 18, 2008

Shima wrote:

Thanks I'm contemplating which of the first three to frame presently lol

It's a tough choice between 1 and 3....the natural light shining through in the 1st one really makes it sing...but I love the perspective and composition of the 3rd one. Keep up the great work!

-DK

www.dank-photo.com

Awais Yaqub · March 18, 2008

These great very nice colors

PhotoDavid78 · March 18, 2008

This reminds me of the "Gates" exhibit a few years ago in Central Park, NYC. I don't have a photo to post of it but it seems as if the artist was inspired by These scenes in Japan.

Fushimi Inari Taisha in Japan

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