Gates, Deers, and Lanterns

Hankering for a Japanese breakfast, Budi, the nighttime front desk clerk recommended Yayokien which was about 2 blocks further from the ramen shop the other night and right next to Gojo subway station.

I ordered and paid for breakfast using the ticket vending machine and got the Silver Salmon Breakfast. It's curious to think that you would pay first, but it seems efficient and assures the restaurant you can pay for the meal.



Right near the restaurant was the bus to Kyoto station where I picked up another bus to go to Fushimi Inari-Taisha, known for the many Tori or shrine gates. I had also picked up another all day bus pass from my hotel. Although I won't use it as much today as yesterday, it's still a good deal at ¥500 when per fare is ¥230.

After about 15 minutes, we arrived at the stop and I walked up the slight hill. At the main shrine, I prayed and rang the bell.







Around the whole complex, there were fox statues everywhere which apparently were messenger gods of Inari, the god of cereals. The key in the mouth is to symbolize the key to the rice granary and other foxes had grains in their mouths. All I could think of when I saw these statues was - stone cold fox.



There were also these stones where if you guess their weight when you make a wish, lift it, and are correct, your wish will come true. Although I tried it, not sure what the weight was, so no idea if I was right or wrong or if my wish will come true:



Up the mountain, there were so many Tori gates where they were sponsored by various families. You could even see some folks cleaning theirs and there were signs posted in case you wanted to buy / sponsor one.

















On a whim, I decided to hike up to the summit of Inari Mountain which took about an hour round trip. The real issue were the crowds of tourists at the lower parts and accidentally veering off to a side shrine that led to nowhere. I was also a bit overheated as I didn't expect to do this, but I figured when would I get a chance to do it again. Here are a few pictures when it was a bit steep:





At the summit, I expected views, but you really couldn't see much and there was a shrine at which I made an offering:





There were lots of shops throughout the mountain for snacks, drinks, and for offerings to the various shrines. I couldn't imagine having to commute up here daily - these folks must be in good shape. In the lower parts of the mountain. I did see some discreet paths and mopeds.

A great view of the city on my way down:



Finally at the bottom, I picked up some matcha latte and walked over to the JR Inari train station headed to Nara. I had pondered doing Nara on my way to Osaka tomorrow, but as I had seen my top sights yesterday in Kyoto, I had time to head south. The train from Inari was about 50 minutes with a transfer at Uji to the express. If I stayed on the local it would have been about 70 minutes.

In Nara, I wanted to see the Todai-ji Buddha and the famous deer that line the park. Upon arriving, I walked eastward and peeked into side streets like, Higashi-muki which is a popular shopping arcade. I popped into a busy restaurant and ordered a tonkatsu lunch set:



After lunch, I made my way to Nara Koen or park that has everything to see in Nara clustered here. As I walked through, I enjoyed my sushi -shaped lollipop from Tokyo Tsukiji market. It didn't taste like fish, but rather a strawberry swirl:



Then I saw my first deer at the park entrance:



The deer are considered sacred here as the were considered messengers to the gods. Now they are deemed national treasures. They were everywhere and people feed them deer biscuits.

Here's the 5 story pagoda also at the park entrance:



I walked through the park and these photos are of leading up to the Daibutsu, Great Buddha at Todai-ji Temple:









Inside the great Daibutsu Hall - the bronze Buddha is the largest in Japan and one of the largest in the world:









There's a story that this hole in a column behind the Buddha, is the size of Buddha's nostril and if you can crawl through it, you will find enlightenment. Kids and European teenagers took turns crawling through it:



Afterwards, I made my way to Kasuga Taisha shrine which is within the park and known for the many lanterns that lead up to the temple. Apparently, over 2,200 Buddhist customs and ceremonies are still conducted here:







Here’s a deer fountain and a deer on a lantern - so meta:



Starting to tire out, I decided to walk to the Kintetsu train station instead of the JR line to return to Kyoto. Grabbing a seat was clutch as I rested during the 45 minute train ride.

I then waited and got on a bus for Nishiki Market. I hadn't been yet and figured I'd have dinner in this neighborhood. My guidebook had several suggestions, but when I saw the line for Ippudo, I jumped in. After a 20 minute wait, I had the ramen special, "Miso Akamaru" with thick noodles and gyoza that melted in your mouth. I've been to the Ippudo in New York many times, but this was delicious and not overpriced like in NY.



After dinner, I headed to the Main Street and got on a bus back for the hotel. I was on overload with the plethora of gates, deers, and lanterns and needed to get ready to head to Osaka tomorrow!