Gateway to Enlightenment. Kyoto, Japan. December 2014.
On a father-daughter excursion to Japan, my father and I visited Kyoto and made it a priority to hike Fushimi Inari Shrine together. Dating back to the 8th century, it is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the god of rice and sake. We visited on a cold December day, but the air felt very refreshing especially after hours of hiking up stairs and inclines. The torri gates were endless and distractingly beautiful—we just had to chase that orange lined path. The calligraphy you see on the gate is the name of the individual, family, or organization that purchased and sponsors the torii.
During the uphill climb, my father and I thought we had reached the summit a few times before actually reaching it. The hike up to the top takes about 2-3 hours and while the view from the summit is remarkable, it was the journey through the thousands of torii that made this shrine a beautiful experience.