First, though, we walked through the little town at the base of the mountain which is home to the temple. It was bustling, and I was surprised to see so many women in ornate kimonos. I found out later that traditional Japanese dress is making a bit of a comeback among the younger people in Kyoto.
I took lots of pictures of the shops, and my first of what would be many encounters with plastic food.
I don't know how they do it, but just about every restaurant has plastic replicas of their food made to display outside to tempt you in. And these aren't flimsy looking, either - they're practically works of art! Some of them look downright tasty.
There was also the more traditional street stalls selling... I'm not sure what, but it was crab based so I was having none of it.
And Hello Kitty, because Japan.
After a bit of a climb, we reached the entrance to the temple.
I was so intrigued and had to read up on the foxes later. Foxes are considered messengers in Shinto tradition, and are often depicted carrying keys in their mouths (the key is for the rice granary). I know I also read why they are wearing bibs, but now I can't seem to find it. Anyone know?
We set about exploring the main temple complex for a bit. Adam made a quick call to the ancestors:
The main temple complex is just below the peak of the mountain it sits on. Above and behind it, torii gates stretch up and over the mountain peak, and then back down again. We didn't do the whole loop - it's really quite the trek - but what we saw was spectacular.
There were a lot of stone lamps throughout the complex, and quite a few feral cats. It was only a matter of time before the cats claimed the lanterns.
We were there for several hours, and still could have spent another few there. But it was getting dark, so we headed back into town.
Next up: We explore Gion!
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