Vermillion by the Million

Well, Maybe Thousands

Today we went to see the famous Torii gates of Fushimi-Inara. These are series of red-orange (vermillion) painted wooden posts with top cross pieces and some writing on them. 

They are used as sort of prayers, for requests, in memory of someone or something, or for thanks. 

This temple complex with Torii - oooooooodles of them - is at the base of a mountain, and the torii gates snake up the path to the top and round about and back down. There are thousands of them, side by side, with jumbles of shrines between. 

The torii were donated by businessmen.The main temple is dedicated to Inari, the deity of rice and saki. Maybe that is why the businessmen favor this site.

Most of the shrines has Fox figures guarding them. Some had foo dogs. A couple had cats.

This one had a happy mama foo dog and her nursing pup. They are famous for something.

Also at this conglomerate there was a rock which had “thunder bound in it” which is said to give you power when you touch it. Look at that power beaming out!

The path up was rather convoluted and when we decided not to go all the way to the top, we found out we were headed there anyway, and almost there,  so we saw it. The local deity was a little ugly.

The Top!

Local deity...as big as your hand....waiting for offerings....

And back down

Taking care of the wildlife. We also saw signs that said we shouldn’t bother the wild boars if we came across them.

He agrees. Look what happens if you do bother them.

This might be where the concept of not pronouncing so as not to desecrate your god’s holy name comes from.

It would be hard to do one’s rosary with that name.

Then back to trains and urban life.

With visions of vermillion forever in our heads.