FUSHIMI INARI TAISHA! Walking Through a Sea of Torii Gates in Kyoto!

Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Taisha. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Despite having visited Kyoto in the past, one tourist location that I'd missed was Fushimi Inari Taisha, located just outside of Inari Station on the JR Nara Line. What sets this shrine apart from all the rest are the seemingly endless torii gates you pass through on the hike along Inariyama. While Fushimi Inari Taisha may not be as well known as the Golden Pavilion or many of the the other more famous tourist spots in Kyoto, it still gets very crowded. Luckily, I was able to take a few photos of the torii gates without any tourists in them -- but just a few!

SCENES FROM KYOTO! A Brief Stop in Japan's Old Capital!

A beautiful nighttime view of Toji Temple in Kyoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

For the first time in nearly four years, I paid a visit to Kyoto, Japan, on August 15, staying overnight until the early morning of August 16. (More on that in an upcoming blog post.) As Kyoto is Japan's former capital (and it was spared the worst of World War II), it is replete with history.

A daytime view of Toji Temple. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I wasn't in Kyoto to sight-see, and I had very little time to do much more than visit the surrounding areas near Kyoto Station. But it was great to see Toji Temple again after so many years. It was certainly nice to photograph it with my upgraded camera.

I hope I'll get another chance to look around at the city in greater detail. Kyoto has so much to offer, and even though I was there for three days in 2011, I still missed quite a bit (such as Kiyomizu-dera). If only shinkansen tickets weren't so expensive!

As much as I wanted to go up Kyoto Tower (which Godzilla destroyed in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II with his atomic ray), circumstances prevented that. At least that was something I did get to do back in 2011. That will have to be added to the to-do list for next time!

Kyoto Tower's observation deck gives its patrons an excellent view of the city. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Naturally, I couldn't go to Kyoto without actually visiting Kyoto Station, itself a location of the climactic battle between Gamera and Irys in Gamera 3 (1999). While I'm not a huge fan of that film, it's always interesting to see such pieces of kaiju eiga history in person.

Kyoto Station, as seen from the outside. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After leaving Kyoto, I made my way to Osaka. It was actually my first time to visit the city, which was always something I wanted to do. Stay tuned for more details!

Gamera and Irys once battled here: An inside view of Kyoto Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

All in all, I truly enjoyed revisiting Kyoto, as bleary-eyed as I was to be there. Why was I so bleary-eyed? Keep it here for the full report!