day 172 - Fushimi-Inari (1)

There are supposedly 40,000 shrines to Inari in Japan, but this one, Fushimi-Inari-Taisha is the Mother of All Inari Shrines. First dedicated in the 700s (yes, 1300 years ago), it now consists of 5 distinct large shrines - and countless small ones - scattered over a hill with over 4 km of connecting paths. Most of the time you're walking through thousands of vermillion 

torii which are so close together they form a tunnel...

day 82 - Mar 20 - Tsuwano

To get to the Taikodani Inari Shrine you have to walk up a hill through a tunnel of 1100 brilliant orange torii, some leaning at precarious angles. The shrine was originally built in 1773, but only the kami seem to be keeping some of the poles in an approximately vertical state.

It celebrates the fox-god Inari, seen here in all his cute stone and miniature porcelain forms (ready for dinner?)

From the shrine there's an excellent view of the town and valley below.

Later we saw washi (traditional hand-made paper) being made from the soaked bark of  the kouzo tree which was conveniently covered in yellow blossom just down the road...