Japan 2016. Day 7: Following the Tori gates ...

Today, we embarked on a journey to one of the most magnificent Shinto shrines in Kyoto - Fushimi Inari. It is the largest of the Inari shrines. It sits at the base of Mount Inari, the entrance was impressive with a large Tori gate and two fox statues (kitsunes ) a male and female. We walked the 4 km to the top of the mountain through winding Tori gates and thousands of steps.


We took lots of rest stops to enjoy some of the 32,000 smaller shrines, all had a pair of foxes and a Tori gate.









Inari is the god of rice so there were plenty of rice dishes on offer. We had a rest stop and had Amazake which is a non alcoholic rice drink mixed with ginger (runny rice pudding )



On our way back down, we rewarded ourselves with a refreshing drink of iced matcha and a delicious vanilla and soybean flour ice cream.

We spent our last afternoon in Kyoto and enjoyed an unusual afternoon tea ... Japanese style.

Our time in Kyoto has been truly amazing. The only downside is that there's so much to see and do, it feels like we've only scratched the surface. We made sure to visit a variety of temples and shrines to get a feel for this ancient capital city. 
Tonight we are packing our bags and I think the tea transportation bag is needed. 
We spent our last evening in our beautiful hotel with a naked spa, feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. We're already looking forward to returning one day to explore more of this magical city.











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