We woke up refreshed with good weather, ready for the day! Ben got up earlier than me (like usual) to eat breakfast and wander on his own. Then we took the train together to Fushimi Inari Taisha.

Dressed for the sun!
I asked him to take a nice picture of our hotel exterior on the way out.

Fushimi Inari is the famous Fox Shrine with “10,000” Tori gates. Famous and crowded, but everyone said it was worth it (they were right. ) We arrived early, before the crowds and the heat. It was still a sweltering walk uphill. I didn’t go as far up the mountain as Ben. It was absolutely stunning. The woods were as magical as the gates and shrines. Here come a ton of pictures:

Through a gap in the gates was a path to another shrine. There were several of these hidden shrines all over the mountain.
A stream ran alongside the upper path of gates
Occasionally a post was missing, showing how they anchor them.
Ben translated some of these and they appear to be sponsorships by companies and families???

This upper landing shrine had many mossy alters near a pond. I decided to turn back here while Ben continued onward.

Bye Ben!
On my own going down the mountain.
Here are Ben’s pictures with expansive views. He didn’t go all the way to the top! The mountain got very steep for the last few miles. But he got this amazing view of Kyoto and met a cat.
Back through the gates!
These workers were assessing the gates for repairs.
A very sly fellow
Fox selfies while I wait for Ben.
The stalls were open now, so we could purchase a tori gate. You can write your wish on it and leave it there, or take them home. Ben wrote our name and year in Japanese and it will adorn our Christmas tree.

Before the trip I read online about a “secret” bamboo grove off to the side at Fushimi Inari. It was supposed to be nearly as good as the famous Arashiyama bamboo grove, with none of the crowds. It took a little poking around, but I figured out the entrance while waiting for Ben. He was game for an adventure, so we went for it! We didn’t go off any official paths. We saw staff members on the way and no one stopped us. As promised, we were all alone to enjoy this hidden grove. We didn’t walk get to walk “through” a bamboo forest, but we could see it and appreciate its beauty all alone. This was such a hidden gem. It felt like a sidequest in a video game. The landscape had such strong Legend of Zelda vibes. I would have lingered much longer if it weren’t for the giant mosquitos attacking me violently, the deeper we tread.