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  • Hi, welcome to Japanesquest.

  • Today, we are visiting Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto.

  • Fushimi Inari Shrine is the head shrine of Inari.

  • Inari is a Shinto God of rice, agriculture, and business.

  • You will see many red gates and statues of foxes at Fushimi Inari shrine.

  • These are symbols of the God Inari.

  • While the main shrine is located at the foot of Mount Inari,

  • all areas on the mountain are considered to be sacred.

  • There are about 10,000 Torii gates on Mount Inari.

  • Among them, Senbon-Torii area is the most picturesque,

  • as a great number of Torii are standing with very narrow intervals.

  • All Torii gates were donated by Japanese individuals or companies.

  • On the back of each gate, you can find who the donator was and when the donation was made.

  • After passing Senbon-Torii, you will encounter a pair of stone lanterns.

  • On the lanterns, two Omokaru-Ishi are placed.

  • Visitors make their wishes in front of one of the lanterns, then try to lift the Omokaru-Ishi.

  • If the weight of the stone is lighter than expected, their wish will be granted.

  • How high should you climb up the mountain? That's a reasonable question.

  • A good answer is to "Yotsu-Tsuji".

  • Yotsu-Tsuji is a resting place on the mountainside, about 45 minutes from the main shrine.

  • From Yotsu-Tsuji, you can enjoy the nice view of Kyoto city.

  • Fushimi Inari Shrine is open to everyone 24 hours a day.

  • At night, all paths and Torii gates get lit up, which give the shrine an eerie, but fairytale-like aspect.

  • It is also a bonus that there are less visitors at night.

  • Fushimi Inari Shrine is definitely one of the Must-See spots in Kyoto.

  • If you have time, it is worth going to Yotsu-Tsuji and enjoy the view of Kyoto city.

  • On the other hand, climbing up to the mountaintop is not always recommended,

  • since there is not a particularly remarkable view there.

  • If you want to do so, you should start at dusk.

  • The illumination will eventually add an enjoyable aspect to it.

  • That's today's episode of Japanesquest.

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  • Thank you for watching!

Hi, welcome to Japanesquest.

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