"Path of Spirits" by Joseph Woodworth (image may not be reproduced or copied without permission)
by Joseph Woodworth
I’ve often heard that Fushimi Inari can be a mysterious place in the twilight with fox spirits coming to life to play tricks. I decided to revisit it at night having only been there in the day.
Of the many temples and shrines in Kyoto, there are but a few I truly enjoy returning to time after time. Built on Inariyama in southeastern Kyoto, Fushimi Inari is one of them. A scene from Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed at Fushimi Inari, and the location is memorable for its many torii.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of the oldest Inari shrines in Japan. The earliest buildings at Fushimi Inari were built in AD 711 before being relocated about one hundred years later. Fushimi Inari is on the list of 22 shrines, which received special offerings from the imperial court. And, it is on the list of Kampeisha, Imperial Shrines, where it is classified as first rank.
Photo by Joseph Woodworth (image may not be reproduced or copied without permission)
Inari is the Japanese god of fertility, rice, foxes, agriculture, and industry. Inari has been represented as feminine, masculine and androgynous. Shrines dedicated to Inari traditionally have been highly popular among merchants; some major corporations in Japan still consider Inari their patron god. More than a third of all Shinto shrines are in honor of Inari.
The most common symbols of Inari are the wish granting jewel and the fox. In addition to a large amount of torii, there are several fox figures, usually in pairs representing male and female. The foxes are also regarded as messengers and they often carry symbolic elements in their mouths such as keys, jewels, scrolls, mirrors, etc.
In Shinto, as with many other ancient belief systems, mountains tend be an important spiritual place. The torii themselves are a representation of a passage to the spirit realm, where one can commune with the gods. It’s no surprise that such a place takes on an entirely different atmosphere in the dark.
If you would like to visit Fushimi Inari Taisha, it is only a five minute walk from Keihan’s Fushimi-Inari station or, better yet, a three minute walk from the JR Inari Station on the Nara line. If you’d like to revisit the shrine, I highly recommend the night experience.
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Having had the distinct pleasure of fact checking this article, I have to applaud you on a really succinct and highly accessible summary of the history of Inari Taisha, Joe. Your article and pictures really tempt me to return for a night visit. Spooooooooky!
Something is up with the overall saturation and contrast of the images in the story – for a better view, please click on them to enlarge – images may not be copied or used without permission :) thanks. I hope everyone enjoys the format of this article, if you do, let me and the Ganbatte Times know, and I shall consider writing more ;)
If you go at night in warm weather, I recommend mosquito repellent. I got eaten alive last September. :( I found it was rather spooky at night, but an interesting experience overall.