Adventure in Kyoto! Loads of culture and history in one city.
Weve got all that and more in this episode of ONLY in JAPAN.
Kyotos «Shrine of 10,000 Torii» or Gates is simply awesome. Its also ranked as Japans no.1 attraction for foreign tourists*
Yes, it can be crowded during the day, but well explore this mysterous shrine at night when no one is around — except the wildlife and a few stragglers.
This time, John will explore and explain Kyotos most popular shrine, Fushimi Inari.
HISTORY:
Fushimi Inari is full of history going back to the year 717!
John interviews one of the Shinto priests and unravel some of the history that might not be in guidebooks. The lengend of Fushimi Inari is revealed!
Are those gates orange or red?
Whats the meaning behind the color?
Which big Hollywood movie was this shrine featured in?
Who cleans all these gates?
John wants to know.
WHEN TO VISIT:
It may seem impossible to escape the crowds here, but you can!
The hours are officially listed as 10:00 to 16:00 but the shrine is open to all free of charge 24 hours a day.
Best of all its FREE! Why? The gates!!! Theyre all bought by people and businesses to bring them luck.
The best time to see it is at night. Its when most locals go with thewir friends, high school couples can be seen climbing up together. Night time adventurers will also see a lot of cats! That rustling you hear on the woods outside the orange gates may not always be a cat though…
KYOTO BY BICYCLE:
How do you get to Fushimi Inari from Kyoto Station?
I could draw you a map, but its much better to show you by bicycle!
Rent a cycle for the day and see more of Kyoto. Cheap and easy.
KCTP (Kyoto Cycling Tour Project) has a good variety of city bicycles for the surrounding hills or the city. You can reserve online or call and have the bike waiting for you as soon as you arrive.
The city is not always cycle friendly so keep to the left side, use the light after dark and try to avoid pedestrian sidewalks.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Heres the Google Map goo.gl/maps/qXalt
Take the JR Nara line from Kyoto Station for 3 stops or rent a bicycle :) Taxi takes about 10-15 minutes.
*Ranked no.1 by Trip Advisor 2014 rankings on Japanese Atttractions
Yutoku Inari Shrine is where your dreams of Japan become real. Heres the shrine, garden, and summit — what others left out.
Yutoku Inari Shrine (or Yutoku Inari Jinja) is one of the most beautiful of the Inari shrines, with all the torii tunnels you could want and a complete lack of all the tourist mobs getting in your way.
Yutoku Inari Shrine is widely regarded as one of the Top 3 Inari Shrines in the country. And you can easily see why here. This was taken at one of the best times of year to visit — with the hydrangea and irises exploding in color in front of you.
Yutoku Inari was established in 1687, and one of its most striking characteristics is its main shrine on a massive wooden scaffolding 18m (59 ft) above the ground.
Yūtoku Inari Shrine is most easily reached by car (free parking), or by taxi from Hizen-Kashima or Hizen-Hama Station on the Nagasaki main line. But a cheaper way is by bus from Hizen-Kashima Stn (Bus platform #3). Yūtoku Inari can also make an excellent side trip while going to see Nagasaki City. For those who need it, there is also elevator to take you up to the main shrine from the bottom.
The way up goes from the main shrine to the top Okunoin, which gives a magnificent view over the area, and is a quiet, peaceful place to relax. That said, the rocky and craggy stairs going up can be very strenuous. But while shooting this and feeling like my heart was about to burst, along came a young Japanese lady who just glided past me in high heels.
The official shrine website is at www.yutokusan.jp
Admission is free; the garden is 200 yen.
Two other big Inari Shrines you should not miss are the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto (the grand-daddy of them all): youtu.be/EandKTAwfOM
and for another beautiful experience without the tourist hordes, see Taikodani Inari Shrine in Tsuwano, Shimane: youtu.be/EVe3XDTDMUU
For more great sights in Kyushu, please watch the Kyushu Playlist: goo.gl/Q843Bg
Прогулки по Японии без лиц и разговоров с минимумом рекламы.
Я прогулся вечером от станции Исикаватё через Китайский квартал к заливу, затем вдоль моря к станции Минатомираи. Возле станции Минатомираи уже установили рождественскую иллюминацию