In the Sprint through Kyoto

September 30

On Wednesday, the weather in Kyoto was significantly better again, and we had quite a lot planned for what we wanted to see that day.

Our first destination was the Fushimi Inari Taisha, probably the most famous Shintō shrine in the country. It is the main shrine of the god Inari, who is primarily associated with agriculture, prosperity, and business success. So actually, it was the right shrine for us.

The shrine is located at the foot of the mountain of the same name, Inari. It is very magnificent and adorned with countless fox statues that are considered the messengers of the god. However, what is truly impressive is the path up the 233-meter-high mountain, lined with thousands of red torii gates, giving the impression you are walking through a tunnel. There are said to be around 10,000 in total.

A highly popular photo spot and consequently quickly overcrowded. For this reason, we got up at six o'clock and set off right after a quick breakfast. In hindsight, that wasn’t a bad idea.

The train got increasingly crowded until we finally got off at the shrine station with hundreds of other tourists.

First, we looked at the main shrine. When we finally started the ascent, there were already hundreds of people on the way, who – just like us – were trying to get a nice photo. However, it was a bit challenging with the crowds.

The further we climbed the path, the thinner the crowds became, and we could actually enjoy the way. There, we managed to take our obligatory photo as well. After that, we continued all the way to the top, briefly enjoyed the view, and then made our way back down.

Next, we went to the Gion district to stroll around a bit. This area is also referred to as the