Inari Shrine Photos

[k]

Here are some photos from a recent trip to Japan. One of the best parts of the trip was a visit to the Fushimi-Inari Shrine in Kyoto. The nearest train station is decorated with kitsune and the shrine itself is a huge park full of fox statues. (And gift shops.)

One of the interesting things there was that people buy fox-head-shaped wooden tablets to hang up on racks, with prayers on one side and hand-drawn cartoon faces on the other. (I have a little fox-pendant from there.) Also, the hundreds (at least) of orange gates are written with the names of businessmen who came over the centuries to pray for prosperity. Just think: there's a story to every one of those gates. And there were paths leading off into the rain... Wish I'd gotten to spend more time there.

[Kit]

Those pictures are awesome, the shrine looks amazing. Im so jealous you got to go there.

[Midori-chan]

Wow... looks like a lovely place to visit...

[k]

Also got to visit the Akihabara ("Electric Town") district of Tokyo, where there are warrens of market stalls selling electronic parts as though they were produce. And there was a multi-story "Club Sega" arcade with games I'd never seen before, including "Quest of D," a Diablo-like RPG that scans in trading cards somehow! Strangely, the game shop I visited had most titles labeled in English, and they seemed to like American pro wrestling games.