Hi everyone!
In this post, we will discover the sacred ground of Fushimi Inari in Japan.
This is not a simple shrine but rather a whole mountain with multiple shrines to honor the fox divinity Inari.
Guardian fox of Inari Shrine
Inari is a god of the Shinto religion, which is the "original" Japanese religion. The Shinto religion cohabits with Buddhism since the 6th century when it was imported from China and Korea.
Inari is a major Kami of Shinto and is usually associated with fertility and harvests. However, Inari was also considered the protector of merchants and blacksmiths. As a result, it is now associated with business in general.
Small Inari altar along the path
When visiting old shops in Kyoto for example, you can often see small Inari shrines protecting them!
Fushimi Inari is located a bit South of Kyoto and is known for this famous path of red Torii.
NB: The main area was too crowded to take a good picture so we went deeper in the forest and I really like the quiet atmosphere there.
Tourists often stop there and go back but it is actually from there that the fun begins! The gentle hiking trail in the mountain takes you to beautiful shrines and wonderful places with striving nature!
Sun shining on the dense forest
In Japanese culture, the statues covered in moss are seen as an expression of Wabi Sabi and are considered very beautiful.
Wabi Sabi refers to the minimalist aesthetic developed by Sen no Rikyu but that is another topic for another blog post maybe!
Thank you for reading this post until the end!
If you liked it and want more feel free to follow. I am leaving you with pictures of daisies taken along the way!
*This post was originally published on my Hive blog (@emeraldtiger)*
