Fushimi Inari Shrine

We had a 3-day weekend a few weeks ago, so I asked a few friends, Akemi and Chise, if they wanted to go anywhere for a short trip. We decided to go to Kyoto for the day and explore some places I hadn’t been yet. First, we went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. It is famous for it’s thousands and thousands of torii’s (the tall red things). Here, the torii’s form long walkways and each one has a name carved into it. Akemi said that people or companies make a wish, and if it comes true, they place a torii there. The entire hike to go through them all is a bit long, so we went through the ones at the beginning and prayed at a few small shrines. The area is very peaceful and beautiful. A bamboo forest surrounds the walkways and trails, so it is shaded and quite cool. Plus on Saturday, we had snow (even in Wakayama!), so there were still small patches on the ground and roofs. I enjoyed the walk.
After a delicious Japanese lunch, we headed to the Ginkakuji, the Silver Temple. Unlike the Golden Temple, it is not made of silver. The small temple is not much to look at, but the surrounding grounds are beautiful.
Nearby is the Philosopher’s walk, which during spring, is under a canopy of cherry blossoms. It takes about one hour to walk the entire trail, so we just saw part of it. But I can imagine how beautiful it would be in full bloom.
Although the crowds are a hassle, it was a beautiful day.