One of the most iconic images from Kyoto are the torii gates of Fushimi Inari-taisha.
On my last day in Kyoto I packed my bags, put them in a station locker and hopped on a short train to Mt. Inari. Now I'm going to let you in on a secret - I had no clue that Fushimi Inari-taisha was a mountain. So when I set out I was wearing heels.
Fushimi Inari-taisha is most definitely on a mountain and for a good 2 hours I climbed up and down it - making it all the way to the summit and getting some sympathetic and curious looks from passers-by. The visitors to Mt. Inari were by far the friendliest and most willing to chat or throw out a happy Ohaiyo! (good morning). There are no roads up so all the little stops and shrines and vending machines are stocked by the priests there - packing the supplies up the mountain themselves. (look for the photo near the end of the slide show).
The other thing that you'll see a lot of at Fushimi Inari-taisha are foxes or kitsune. Kitsune are fox spirits that are messengers to the gods. Kitsune are found in pairs, one holding a ball of happiness and the other holds the key to the rice cellar (symbolizing prosperity).
What I really loved was that the ema (prayer cards) at Fushimi Inari-taisha were fox shaped that people customized.
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