Kyoto 20 - Fushimi Inari
Here is another fountain where you are to wash your hands and mouth, to purify you for your temple visit.
Foxes are the messenger animal of the god Inari. These foxes, which guard the front of the Mail Hall and the Inner Worship Hall hold a rice ear in their mouth to symbolize the fact that Inari is the god of rice and crops.
This is Fushimi Inari Taisha Honden (Sanctuary)
Senbon Torii (Thousand Torii Gates)
If you remember "Memoirs of a Geisha", this was one of the iconic scenes, I knew some day I would come here... so did a lot of other people. By the way, if you come here, the Torii trail has a short cut, after an hour and a bit ascending, I made it to the top, but boy it was a trek.
The red bibs are believed to repel evil spirits and illness, so the bibs serve as a protective charm for the sacred foxes.
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