Visiting the Thousand Gate Temple in Japan

Hi everybody.
How are you all these days?
I am very happy that today I can write a post to share with everyone. Today we continue with a great place in Japan 😍!

I think maybe you have seen these pictures somewhere because this place is really famous. That is the Fushimi Inari Shrine, also known as the "Thousand-gate temple" by us.

I was very lucky to have the opportunity to come here to experience it once. I went to Kyoto for about 3 days to visit many places. Before moving to Tokyo, Kyoto was the capital of Japan. So in the past, this place was very developed and famous for its constructions, temples and many unique cultural features. There are many places you can visit here such as Kinkakuji (golden temple), Arashiyama mountain area with bamboo forest, Kyoto international manga museum... And Fushimi Inari Shrine was the first destination that I chose. choose.

You must be wondering why a foreigner like me knows this temple, right?
Actually, I got to know it thanks to the image in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”.

This movie is quite popular and has won 3 Oscars and many other awards. The content is about the life of a girl who becomes a Geisha and the events in her life. In the last scene of the film, there is an image of a girl (childhood protagonist) running around a road with many red gates. I was really impressed with that scene. Then I looked on the internet to see where that place is in Japan. And I did not hesitate to visit this place, to admire its beauty with my real eyes.

When I lived in Japan, I was in the Tokyo area. I traveled by shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. Going by shinkansen would take about 2 hours and 30 minutes and the one-way fare was about 13,000 Japanese yen ($115). You can also go by long-distance bus that runs at night. Going by bus will take about 7 - 9 hours.

When you arrive at Kyoto station, there are many ways to get to Fushimi Inari Shrine. Usually people will go by train or public bus. Don't worry because there are very detailed instructions on how to move on the internet.

According to my research, this temple is dedicated to the god Inari. This deity represents rice, tea, and sake wine. These are all things associated with daily life and Japanese culture. People often come here to pray for their family's business to thrive and for their loved ones to be at peace.

Since the mascot representing Inari is a fox, there are statues of foxes at the shrine. We often think that foxes are cunning and evil animals, but the Japanese see foxes as intelligent animals and go to punish bad species.

This is the starting point of my journey. It's a pity that no one was with me at that time. But going alone is also quite an interesting experience for me. Sometimes going somewhere alone isn't such a bad thing.

The road leads up the mountain and you will have to climb a lot of stairs. I think this is a good exercise for everyone's health. If it has just rained, you should also be careful to avoid falling due to slipping.

You will have indescribable feelings when going through the gates. Because it is in the mountains, the air is very fresh. You will hear birdsong and running water too. I guess it was the sound of water coming down from small mountain streams. You look around, you will see all the gates, so it will look very fanciful. Looks like long tunnels that never end. And you will wonder if going all the way to another world? 😇

There are many paths up the mountain and you will have to choose from them. If it's your first time I think you should bring a map. I also took it with me, but because I couldn't determine where I was, it was difficult for me to see the map. So I went with my gut feeling.

As a result, I got lost when I went through a small alley. Luckily someone passed and I followed them right back to the main road. Getting lost alone in the mountains is quite scary for people I know in the city like me. I'm so sorry I couldn't discover more to tell you 😅.

I remember that time there was a light rain. The weather had predicted that a typhoon was coming to Kyoto, so there were very few visitors here. Thanks to that, I was able to take many beautiful pictures with my phone. If you notice in the pictures I took, people are wearing raincoats or covering umbrellas, aren't they 😄.

Do you know about the Torii column?
I bet you've seen a lot of these gates in Japanese movies. According to my research, this will be the main entrance of the Shinto shrine. It is said that these portals are the transition point between the real and virtual worlds. You can understand that this is the border between gods and humans. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Who knows, when walking here, you will meet a certain god and they will grant you a wish. If so, what would you wish for?

Torri gates are usually made of wood and painted red. Some of them are made of stone but the quantity is very small. These gates are offered by business owners or well-to-do families with the desire to receive luck and fortune from the gods. As you can see, on the gates will be engraved the name of a business or represent the name of a certain character. Another thing is that the prices of these gates range from 200,000 Japanese yen ($1770) to 1.5 million Japanese yen ($13275).

This trip really left me with an unforgettable experience. If you love temples and experiencing new things then this is really the right place for you. In addition to having you can pray for luck and well-being here, I'm sure you'll have great photos too. And don't forget if you have time, watch the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha". The film is quite appreciated and maybe you will find something meaningful for yourself from this movie.

Thank you for reading my post.
I very much hope you like it.

Goodbye and see you in the next post😍.