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Behind the Shrine - The Inari Hug in Kyoto, Japan
Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
February is around the corner. The excitement is peeping in. Ahh, the love month. But, I think I started my February reverie way earlier. It’s been a couple of months, but my love for Japan is still overflowing. You know, the type where you’d just daydream and rewind everything in your head, hoping it becomes reality right before your eyes. You know that feeling? I’d just want to come back and experience the place once again, from a different angle perhaps. It’s true: Japan is so attractive even with all the cracks and holes. It’s one of those places that’s truly love worthy.
One of the best rewinds I have of Japan is the Inari Shrine of Kyoto. It’s a completely different kind of love and affection from the rest of Japan, but it certainly is enlivening. We had to make our way all the way to Kyoto to see this orange perfection and it was there, waiting and welcoming us with open pillars.
Is it just me or have you noticed that there’s something about temples and shrines that exude holiness? No matter how manmade it may feel like, temples and shrines show a silent story of godliness. There’s this slice of solace and understanding that makes you just want to rest and feel all comfortable staying in the place. It’s a different kind of love. It’s love that’s unconditional, nonetheless. The Inari Shrine, with orange and pillars, shared that kind of love openly to us. From the Kitsune, to the hundreds of pillars and scribbles, I felt as if I was being penciled in an ancient Taoism book, slowly being hugged by time and immortality. Seeing these things and knowing how much history and respect this Shrine has earned over time, is overwhelmingly enough for me to feel so absorbed by the moment.
Had a Ted Mosby moment there - you know, his obsession with all things structure and architecture? Well, I gave a silent hug to the Inari Shrine of Kyoto. Perhaps, it was a hug that spoke a thousand feelings. Perhaps, it was the fanciest hug I’ve ever gave. Or, the lamest. Haha. Perhaps, perhaps. But, it was a hug like no other. It was a hug of overflowing reverence – a hug for the people who made this shrine a reality; a hug for the years this shrine endured with patience; a hug for the lives and moments it has transformed. An unselfish hug. A hug for all.
Address: 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 612-0882, Japan
Opening Hours: Open 24 Hours Daily, No Holidays
[JAPAN TRAVEL] Read the rest of Explore Japan Travel Blog Series:
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