The miniature shrines and many graveyards scattered over the mountain path make an eerie hike. There are many trails leading in different directions to many shrines. There are thousands of gates I must walk through high upon this mountain. 

The Shinto shrines are places of worship . Sacred objects of worship that represent the Shinto gods, or Kami, are stored in the innermost chamber of the shrine. People visit the shrines in order to pay their respect to these gods and to pray for good fortune. Weddings are often held here and newborn babies are brought to the shrine a few days after their birth. Business people and manufacturers have worshipped Inari, seen as the patron of business, since the early days of Japan. 

The shrine I am at today, The Fushimi Inari Shrine, is in southern Kyoto, Japan. Among the 30,000 shrines in Japan, this one is the most famous. It was a short 30 minute or so train ride to get here from where I am staying in Kyoto.

At the shrine's entrance stands the Romon Gate, which was donated in 1589 by one of Japan's famous leaders. Behind the gate stands the shrine's main building (Honden) and various auxiliary buildings.

I look at the shrine then head for the trails behind the shrine's many buildings .

I walk through the main tori gate, pass the shrine, and walk uphill to the start of the hiking trails. The trails lead about 3 miles through the wooded slopes of the sacred Mount Inari.

The trails are covered with thousands of the tori gates. Each gate was donated by an individual or corporation. They are usually made of wood and usually are painted orange and black. When you see a tori, you know it leads to a shrine. There are thousands of tori's on this mountain. 

The cost of a small gate starts around $4,000 and a large gate starts around $10,000 in U.S. dollars. The name and date of the donor is inscribed on the back of each one.

There are two parallel rows of dense gates, spaced just a little apart, allowing the sun to filter through as you hike. They are called Senbon Tori ("thousands of tori gates"). They are side-by-side and I pick one and start through the many tori's .
 
The hike to the top takes about 3 hours but can take longer if you stop at any of the many shrines along the way. Not everyone does the entire hike. You are free to turn around and go back at any point. 

While hiking along the trail I come to a lot of small shrines. These have miniature tori gates that were donated by people with smaller budgets. Many of the Japanese hikers stop at these to light incense and pay respect. 

Outside the entrance to each shrine, there is a well with water flowing out and some dippers. It's called a purification trough. I found out you are supposed to use the dipper to pour water on your hands and wash your mouth before entering the shrine.

The little slips of paper the people have been tying to the strings, I found out, are called Omikuji. They are fortune telling paper slips. You draw one randomly. They contain predictions ranging from 'great good luck' to 'great bad luck' . If you tie the paper to a tree branch or something, good fortune will come to you or the bad fortune will be stopped.

At the different shrines I notice there are statues on each side of the entry. I think they are dogs but then find out they are fox statues. The fox is considered the messenger of Inari, the god of the rice harvest (and, later on, business). 

The Japanese traditionally see the fox as a sacred, somewhat mysterious figure capable of 'possessing' humans. One of the fox has something in his mouth. I find out it is a key. The key often seen in the fox's mouth is for the rice granary.

 There are also a few places to buy refreshments along the way. You can buy locally themed dishes such as Inari Shushi and Kitsune Udon (Fox Udon). Both of the dishes feature pieces of aburaage (fried tofu), said to be a favorite food of foxes.

 About halfway up the mountain I came to the Yotsutsuji intersection . There are some really nice views from here of Kyoto. Many people stop here for the views and then return to the starting point. Although this is only the mid-way point of the trail, this is where the best views are. The rest of the hike goes through forest and there are no views.

After taking in the views from the intersection, I continue up the trail. The trail splits into a circular route from here to the summit.
 
I always like to finish a hike I start and I am glad I finished this one. The hike to the summit was really interesting and I think people that do not go all the way miss out on a lot.

Back in Kyoto, I pass a service station. Two attendants rush up to a vehicle that pulls in and start to wash windshields and even side mirrors. They open the car door if the person wants to get out and go inside the station. As the car or truck drives away, they both bow.

It was a great day in Japan.