Whirring frantically.
I sure hope it isn't dying.
Sunday, I paid a visit to Fushimi Inari-Taisha--which is practically on the opposite side of Kyoto--with Sunyoung, a law major from Korea. A few years ago, there weren't as many foreigners visiting this shrine, but since the Memoirs of a Geisha came out, everyone visiting Kyoto wants to see the thousands of red torii Sayuri ran through in the film. And there are literally thousands of torii, donated by various companies and businesses. Originally Inari was a kami of agriculture, rice, and fertility, but nowadays is revered as a patron kami of businesses and industry.
Waiting for the procession
which reminded me a lot of a church procession/parade I saw in Spain once
These are mikoshi, portable shrines used to transport the enshrined kami.
This was one of the few times of the year the kami is basically brought out into the public.
I've waited to write about this shrine visit since I actually started learning about its history in my Intro to Japanese Culture and Japanese Religion classes just this week. I also learned why kitsune--the hengeyoukai, not the animal--purportedly have a great love of sake.
Foxes have always been the messengers of Inari, and kitsune statues all over Fushimi Inari-Taisha. Some hold objects in their mouths, like keys to granaries, scrolls for accounting, wish-fulfilling jewels, or small spheres which hold the power and energy of the kami.
The red bibs on the statues are offerings.
This one was a nice portrait I think
The ema at this shrine are rather unique: they're shaped like fox faces. People write their wishes on the back and can draw on their own fox face on the front. Some of the fox faces looked more like dogs or people though...
Offerings of sake, water, and rice are brought her for breakfast and dinner.
Kami need breakfast and dinner just like people.
The lower shrine is for the Ukanomitama no kami, the soul of rice, the middle shrine for Sarutahiko no mikoto, a deity of the ground, and the upper shrine for Oomiyanome no mikoto, a female deity.
Funny note, candles are very, very rarely allowed to be lit here. For a while, the crows were making off with lit candles. Kind of a fire hazard. (There was a guy watching these candles though. Plus, these candles were pretty hefty.)
There are also hundreds of otsuka, stones with the names of kami or budhha/bodhisattva inscribed on them. All are various representations of Inari. 
I'm not sure if we actually walked the whole thing or not...We got to the top of, well, something with a great view. There were about 2 or 3 other paths back downwards, and a very convenient place to eat, grab a drink or some ice cream...
Thinking the paths were going to circle back around towards the front, we were glad to be walking downhill, until we discovered the easiest way back to the front of the shrine was back uphill towards the way we came from.
I'd like one of these in my future dream garden
After a very serene mountain path, a bamboo grove, some rice paddies, and a pretty little hillside garden with tulips, and a very, very steep hill, we made it back at the earlier intersection, then back towards the entrance, thence to back to the station. Fortunate, because it was starting to get cold. The cool weather was nice and refreshing when we were climbing up stairs and stairs and through tunnels of torii.
A last few peaceful thoughts nearby and at the station:
