This is certainly in the top 5 of my favourites in Japan so far. The entire complex, consisting of fine shrines, sprawls across the wooded slopes of Inari-Yama. A pathway wanders 4km up the mountain and is lined with hundreds of red torii. Apparently these torii gates have been donated by many different towns and they vary from the very new, vibrant red colours to the very old faded ones. There are a scattering of stone torii too. This place just felt magical to me.As Phillip, Lesley, Verity, Jono and I made our way up the mountain I couldn't help but stop often to take more and more beautiful shots on my camera! I just couldn't take enough! There were lots of people wandering both up and down the mountain as well as one guy who used the path as his running trail. What an awesome place to workout!
About 3/4 of the way up Lesley, Verity and Jono retreated back down the mountain but Phillip and I continued up. At the very top was a shrine at which there were a sprinkling of people preying to their Gods. The feel up there was quite different to the one I experienced climbing up. There were many mini torii gates put here and there with messages written on them. It made me think of a graveyard...like a torii gate graveyard. A bit creepy really!The trip back down was very easy and we met up with the others ready to head to our next destination.
