Japan Trip 2013- Fushimi Inari Shrine
Our final destination in Kyoto would be Fushimi Inari Shrine. We were here simply because we wanted to attempt to get some exercise and attempt to climb all the way to the summit of Mount Inari, to see some sunset perhaps. Also, Memoirs of Geisha being shot at this location was also one of the pulling factors.
In essence this is no easy feat, as all of us were quite exhausted from all the travelling and walking over the past 8-9 days in Japan. And to climb 233 metres to the top via all the staircases, this is proving to be a daunting task.
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| A looooong way up. Looks damn simple from the picture though |
Fortunately, it rained earlier hence the obstacle of the scorching summer heat is now out of the equation. And so, we begin our journey starting with the trails leading from the temple. At the start of the hiking trail, you can still many tourists but their numbers dwindle as the steps further ascend. All the trails are covered with torii gates. To have your name your name inscribed on the gates costs a huge fortune.
After about a 10 minute walk we reached one of the most prominent landmark in the temple, a two parallel row of gates called Senbon Torii, which marks the very back of the shrine's main grounds and the entrance into the forest grounds and officially up towards Mount Inari.
I can't remember how long it took, but it took quite a while to reach our next 'pit stop', which was this beautiful lake in the middle of the mountain. Apart from us, there's also this lady who's wearing super high heels and hiking with her boyfriend like the stairs didn't matter. This proved a great motivation for us to keep climbing.
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| Gorgeous lake |
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| Never ending stairs |
Along the way up to the summit, there are many vending machines selling beverages for tourists and hikers alike to quench their thirst. The irony is that the price increases as you go higher up. Smart. There are also shops that sells food and stuff but we didn't manage to try any as most were closed for business :(
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| Girl with high heels reaching first D: |
And after what feels like one hour plus later, we finally made it to the peak! Overjoyed indeed. Although the sight was not we envisioned hahaha. Apparently the view of Kyoto city is at another lower peak. So no sunset view here. Nevertheless it was quite an achievement coming all the way to Japan to do some hiking.
This brings the end of my journey in Kyoto as we then head back to Osaka for our final 2 days in Japan. Definitely will come back to Kyoto for the spring or autumn season.
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