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One of our guides in Kyoto is the very lovely and talented Ayako Kiyono san. Kiyono san knows her stuff when it comes to Kyoto and has shown hundreds of our travellers around the old Imperial capital. Kiyono san wanted to write about one of her favourite places…. Fushimi Inari – Kyoto
The head quarter of 30,000 sub-shrines throughout Japan, with 2.7million people visit during the three-day New Years holiday, Fushimi Inari Shrine is one of the most popular Shinto shrines in Japan.
If you can’t believe it, please come and count the number of the votive offerings. One, two, three, …hundred,… thousand,… ten thousand and more to count. By the time you finish counting, it will be already dark!
What kind of votive offerings do people make?
Several different kinds, one most popular is small votive tablets on which the wish is written, and another is Torii Shinto gate of various sizes.
A square-shaped votive tablet is the most common in many shrines, but those in this shrine are unique, they are either fox-face shape, or Torii gate shape. Those who have playful mind add some facial expressions on the fox-face votive tablets. You see smiling foxes and manly foxes. Those votive tablets cost you around 500yen to 800yen.
But if you have an ambition and want something different, why don’t you offer Large Torii Gate?
The largest torii gate is around 15meters high and your name or company name is engraved with donation date. As so many people come visit this shrine everyday, you can be very famous. That could be one of the best ways to advertise yourself!
Ayako Kiyono