Fushimiinari

This was number one on my list of we must do.  I've seen it before, many times.  But I can't stay away.  It is a shrine, the entrance is littered with all sorts of large orange buildings for them to do their stuff in.  I head right past all of that for the steps that lead to the trail of torri gates that goes up and around this lovely mountain covered with cedar trees.  Maybe it reminds me of being up in the UP?  It's so tranquil to be walking around under the shade of the trees on a hot summer day, listening to the birds singing. Or in the fall when the leaves turn colors matching the torri gates, though you do need to watch out for the spider webs.  This is not something Iiked.  But it was interesting to see all the shapes of the spider webs in Japan, the triangle, the 3-D intersecting webs with a large  legged spider hiding in the middle.  Yuck!

As we started to climb, it was just too much for the older and younger folks of our group.  Amy and I left them beside a rest stop at a pond, telling them it will be about an hour to find my favorite spot.  There were two other look out locations that I remember from past visits 7, 13 & 15 years ago coming here.  During all those years the trees grew and covered up both look out spots!  So they took the benches and carried them up higher to a rocky look out spot.  They would never have made it this high.

We found my favorite spot, where there is a secret nook in someones dear ones resting spot with running water.  The water falls into an old bucket, overflowing and combining with the water dripping down the moss of this secret nook and flows past stepping stones.  As Amy's Japanese is impeccable she read the water is medicinal.  Maybe that is why I stayed so healthy! 

The history:  Fushimi Inari Shrine  has ancient origins before the captial was moved to Kyoto in 794.  It is a shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice.  Foxes are said to be the  messengers of gods.  The mountain goes up 233 meters above sea level.