The 10,000 vermilion torii gates (or Senbon Torii) that snake up the east Kyoto mountains hold a special place in Japanese culture, leading to the sacred Fushimi Inari Shrine. Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and foxes are said to be Inari’s messengers, explaining the many fox statues scattered throughout the trail.
More than just aesthetic masterpieces, each torii has inscriptions noting who has made donations to the shrine, in an act known as ‘hono.’
On days with inclement weather, like the one I visited one, the trails seem to be pretty quiet. The sparse crowds, heavy mist and driving rain added a very eerie aura to the forest, allowing me to get these shots which – I hope – capture the solitude of this otherworldly experience.
