A Shinto shrine is a place of worship and dwellings of the kami, or Shinto “gods”. It consists of two architectural components: the front shrine dedicated to worshipers and the rear shrine, where the main shrine is set. The kami, in itself incorporeal, is usually represented physically by a mirror or sometimes by a statue. The building is typically in the rear of the shrine and houses the sacred object in the innermost chamber.
Shrines are places set aside for a deity or set of deities/spirits/ancestors, which can house statues or other icons and serve as a place to display votive offerings. The building is usually in the rear of the shrine and closed to the general public. In front of it usually stands the haiden, or oratory. Shrines generally have a “torii” gate at the entrance, a “tezumisha” to purify oneself by the side of the “approach”, and a “honden” where the shintai, a sacred object in which the kami resides.
A shrine is a center of spiritual refreshment, prayer, reflection, and devotion. It is an axis mundi, a “center of the world”. All shrines have a torii gate, even if they do not have a main sanctuary housing the spirit of a deity. At the heart of a typical shrine is the main sanctuary, called the honden, which houses the shintai, a sacred object in which the kami resides.
In summary, a Shinto shrine is a place of worship and dwellings of the kami, or Shinto gods. It is characterized by its torii gate, stone stairs, and the honden, which serves as a boundary between holy ground and the shrine.
📹 Japanese Religion Shintoism / How to visit Shrine
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What is a shrine in construction?
A shrine is a religiously significant building or shelter, often of a sumptuous character, containing the remains or relics of a saint or holy person, forming an object of religious veneration and pilgrimage. It is a place of worship associated with a particular holy person or object, and is visited and treated with respect due to its connection to a deceased person or those they want to remember.
What are the parts of a shrine?
A shrine is a complex structure that includes various structures, each designed for a specific purpose. These structures include the honden, which houses the kami, the heiden, which is the hall of offerings, and the haiden, which is the hall of worship. The honden contains the shintai, or “the sacred body of the kami”, and is usually smaller and unadorned. Other notable shrine features include the temizuya, a fountain where visitors cleanse their hands and mouth, and the shamusho, the office that supervises the shrine.
Before the forced separation of Shinto and Buddhism, it was common for a Buddhist temple to be built inside or next to a shrine or to include Buddhist subtemples. If a shrine was also a Buddhist temple, it was called a jingu-ji. Temples in Japan adopted tutelary kami (chinju) and built temple shrines called chinjusha to house them.
The practice of marking sacred areas began in Japan as early as the Yayoi period (from about 500 BC to 300 AD), originating from primal Shinto tenets. Places believed to attract kami were worshiped as yorishiro. Initially, sacred places were marked with a surrounding fence and an entrance gate or torii. Later, temporary buildings similar to present-day portable shrines were constructed to welcome the gods to the sacred place. Over time, these temporary structures evolved into permanent structures dedicated to the gods.
Three important forms of ancient shrine architectural styles exist: taisha-zukuri, shinmei-zukuri, and sumiyoshi-zukuri. These styles are exemplified by Izumo Taisha, Nishina Shinmei Shrine, and Sumiyoshi Taisha, dating back to before 552. According to the tradition of Shikinen sengū-sai, the buildings or shrines are faithfully rebuilt at regular intervals adhering to the original design, replicating ancient styles through the centuries to the present day.
What are shrine rooms?
Shrine Rooms are unique rooms in Revelations floors that contain shrines that grant or modify floor mechanics and enhance run. If exited without activating a shrine, both effects will activate, displaying a “You’ve made a mistake” message. Unlocked and possible, a Champion boss will be forced. Willo and Maxwell’s Horn are based on original positive effects from Pact of Radiance and Pact of Peril respectively.
Can you go inside a shrine?
To visit a shrine, be respectful and calm, avoid walking in the middle of the road, as it is meant for deities to pass. At the entrance of the shrine, fill a ladle with fresh water and rinse your hands and mouth. Dispose of the water next to the fountain, and use a handkerchief to dry your hands. Some visitors skip the mouth rinsing or purification ritual altogether. At the offering hall, throw a coin into the box, bow twice, clap your hands twice, pray for a few seconds, and bow again. If there is a bell or gong, use it before the entire procedure. Remember to be respectful and avoid impurity while visiting a shrine.
What is a shrine in architecture?
A shrine is a sacred space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, or similar figure of respect, where they are venerated or worshipped. These shrines often contain idols, relics, or other objects associated with the figure being venerated. An altar is a shrine at which votive offerings are made. Shrines are found in various religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Shinto, indigenous Philippine folk religions, and Germanic paganism.
They can be found in various settings, such as churches, temples, cemeteries, or household shrines. Portable shrines are also found in some cultures. Many shrines are located within buildings or temples designed specifically for worship, such as a church in Christianity or a mandir in Hinduism. In such cases, adherents of the faith assemble within the building to venerate the deity at the shrine. In classical temple architecture, the shrine may be synonymous with the cella.
What is the point of a shrine?
Shrines are sacred places in various religions, often housing a particular relic or cult image, which is the object of worship or veneration. They are also constructed to set apart a site considered holy, attracting pilgrimage. Catholicism, the largest denomination of Christianity, has many shrines, as do Orthodox Christianity, Anglicanism, and some forms of Lutheranism. In the Roman Catholic Church, a local diocesan bishop or archbishop can designate a local (arch)diocesan shrine.
For a shrine to be a national shrine, the country’s Episcopal Conference must approve it, and for it to be international, the Holy See at the Vatican in Rome must approve it. The 1983 Code of Canon Law defines a shrine as a church or other sacred place frequented by the faithful as pilgrims.
What makes a place a shrine?
A National Shrine is a Catholic church or sacred place that houses the remains of a saint or holy person, attracting religious veneration and pilgrimage. The National Conference of Bishops recognizes its historical, cultural, and religious significance. Our National Shrine is dedicated to Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American citizen Saint and the Patroness of Immigrants. Pilgrims from around the world come to experience a profound religious experience, preserving her room and other artifacts. All are welcome in this sacred place.
What is a shrine room?
Buddhist traditions exhibit a wide range of architectural styles, from modest shrine rooms featuring mats and Buddha figures to elaborate settings with embroidered wall hangings, Buddhist statues, and shrines adorned with candles and incense.
What is a shrine?
A shrine is a place of worship where people come to honor a holy person or a mysterious religious event, or a place that is honored due to a connection with a famous person or event.
What is a shrine in a house?
A home shrine is a place where people bring their spirituality into their home, often for religious purposes such as ancestors, prayer, or meditation. It can also serve as a place to fulfill religious requirements, honor ancestors or loved ones, or honor a child who died unexpectedly. Some home shrines may include objects used in religious ceremonies, a crucifix, prayer rug, candles, incense, or prayerbooks. In larger homes, shrines may be more than just a room, and may even be an entire chapel. Examples include Robert Reid’s “First Born” crucifix and candles.
What makes up a shrine?
A shrine is a sacred space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, or similar figure of respect, where they are venerated or worshipped. They often contain idols, relics, or other objects associated with the figure being venerated. An altar is a shrine at which votive offerings are made. Shrines are found in many world religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Shinto, indigenous Philippine folk religions, and Germanic paganism.
They can be found in various settings, such as churches, temples, cemeteries, or household shrines. Portable shrines are also found in some cultures. Many shrines are located within buildings or temples designed specifically for worship, such as a church in Christianity or a mandir in Hinduism. In classical temple architecture, the shrine may be synonymous with the cella.
📹 Inside Kyoto’s Mountain Shrine At Night | Fushimi Inari
In the dark of night, completely empty, we explore the gates of Kyoto’s Fushimi inari Shrine. While its famously said to have 10000 …
While I knew some of the rules, I have no idea of why we are supposed to do so. Thank you so much, I loved this article! Could you also create a article about what people in Japan have for a small shrine/altar at home? I have seen fruits there, for example. But what are they for and what do you do with them after? Probably it’s polite to throw them away?
I go to different shrine atlease 1 or 2x a month for 3 years since i lived here in japan and i observed that younger japanese do not really observed this kind of practice but instead they just go to shrine and temples to take a picture just like i do but i also observed that its the elder people who really do this kind of practice (bowing, clapping and everything.) 😊
Congratulations on your good fortune! This is on the list of things to do before I die. Hopefully I have as much luck as you did and can one day travel to your country. I would love to visit Watatsumi Shrine in Tsushima. It really does look like the place where you would walk into the sacred world. I’m so glad they got the funding to restore the torii that fell. You look very elegant in your kimono, by the way. 🙂
Great article and awesome look wearing a kimono. Just a recommendation: although would be a lot of work it would be great if you indicate using colors the correspondence in Japanese/English in captions. Beside of that great work and amazing articles. Thanks for teaching us Japanese language and culture. Regards from Spain.
It’s really funny and interesting what things people made up world-wide to appease (supposed) destiny😊 Be it Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Shintoism. But the rules to visit a shrine in Shintoism look very interesting! Really refreshing for a person who basically only knows churches like me. If I were to visit Japan, I’d try going to a shrine. Your article is really helpful to know how to behave there!
The Sacred Lottery (o-mikuji) lead to the invention of the “Chinese” Fortune Cookie in United States around 1900. There are various European customs that little prizes or gifts are baked into cookies or cakes for prizes. With new bigger trade with Asia around 1900s, United States people started to add little strips of party with fortunes with the prizes. They mixed up the countries or the information was changes along the way and so they thought that the practice of fortunes on little strips of paper came from China not Japan.
I was recently approached by Shinto brothers and sisters on the streets of Okinawa. They asked to pray for me. Can anyone explain further what the prayer consists of? Is it memorized? To whom is it offered? Why would they want to repeat the process if I just received it from someone else? Why did they invite me to their shrine? Etc.
If you catch the blast from the past, you get bonus points! Took me 15 years, but I held to my promise! How is everyone doing today? Someone from the Notification Squad is winning a prize on this one! PS… There is actually a whole second article to this night adventure! There was so much footage, I had to cut it in two lol It will be going up for the Full Adventurers over on Patreon along with the rest of the behind the scenes!
We visited Fushimi Inari in the evening last year. It was not completely empty, but not many peolpe were there. It’s really beatiful when you have this place for yourself. Like something out of a movie. Also, we saw a boar just a few meters away from the path, so be careful! And lots of giant spider nets around the lights.
On 2018 i was in Kyoto for 5 days. Arrived in the 5am night bus. It was an amazing experience. I got to accidentally access Fujimi inari taisha from a back road that goes almost to the top and then get all the way down to the main access. Just beautiful. Still got my night visiting pending for a future trip.
I love Fushimi Inari. Was there in spring of 2019. started the climb around 6:30am and pretty much spent the entire morning up in the mountain just walking and exploring. I didn’t even notice the time until I went back down and the entrance was a hub of activity! Shops were open, tourist groups were there, it was just such a stark difference to the trickle of human activity when I started the climb.
It was pouring rain when I went to Fushimi Inari but it didn’t bother me much since I love rain. It actually helped since there were less people willing to hike all the way up. I just pushed on and got some great pics of the tori gates with no people around. Awesome time, would like to go back someday!
A little late but here still, when I went to that beautiful place I just couln´t get to the very top because of my itinerary but it is such a wonderful experience to be there and now I definetely want to go at night someday!! The last part of the article where you show the old footage was the best, achieving goals and dreams, realizing you have got this far an still going up, it is amazing!!
I’ve been wanting to explore Tokyo, but Japan in general. perusal your articles make me want to travel there so much more. My best friend has travelled their a year or two ago. but I’d love to dmy own article series of being a traveler and experiencing the main Japan touristy stuff.But i’d love exeriencing the deep Japan stuff like this
Thank you SO much for making this article. I’ve been to Japan 3 times and Fushimi Inari twice. Both times I’ve turned up mid afternoon and caught the sunset from that main lookout spot about 2/3 of the way up. I’ve had the pleasure of descending the mountain in the dark. It’s a truly wonderful place and you’ve perfectly captured the beauty and mystery of Fushimi Inari at night time. This article means a lot to me because it’s the kind of article I’d love to make myself, if I was a competent filmmaker, and in these strange times, I don’t know when I can visit again. Thank you!
First time perusal your article and thank you for this! It really feels like I was there in person and everything is just beautiful, and the bgm just right for the mood! Would hope to hike this one day! ❤️ p.s. The effort you put in to shoot the scenes of both of you walking towards and away from the camera.. had to walk the path 3 times, salute! 😂
As always, the ambience and the music fit each other beautifully! ’tis quite the mesmerizing article especially because of the quiet atmosphere and the surrounding darkness outside the well-lit pathways ready to swallow you whole the moment you dare enter it! Loved the article and loving these duo articles with Victor-san… Looking forward to the day you guys visit and make another article with some more haunted stuff and Victor looking into the upside-down mirror thingy that supposedly shows your future(?)… Alright, that’s a lot, I’mma show myself to the door(the back button in this case?)
I walked up Fushimi Inari in the day, and it was barely busier than that once you got past the first bit of gates – I only saw maybe ten-fifteen other people, not including the people working on the entire hike. When I first got there pretty early, there were quite a few people at the bottom, but you could get through those first gates without being crowded. When I got back down after doing the loop, I pretty much had to use my elbows to get through, people were packed like sardines and still trying to get the iconic shot. Joke’s on them, I guess, if they’d walked for five minutes they’d have the perfect shot of empty gates. Some of my favourite pictures from my trip were from there. 🙂
Damn, that place looks so different at night!! Surprised it is so well lit up, I take it that it is legal to go there at night?? Did not get to explore that much of it the last time I was in Kyoto as I had only 1 full day to spend there, wish to go back someday. So, how much alike was this to the game you played on Steam a couple of years back?? 2005 vision to go back with a better camera~~ Checked~!! Thanks for the great tour~!! Looking forward to the second article~! Cheers~~ Notification Squad for the win~~!! Take care Norm!~ and also Victor~!!
Thanks Norm for the blast from the past! Me and a friend went to Fushimi inari for the first time in 2017, at midnight in the pouring rain. We met about 2 other visitors. On the way down from the top we took a wrong turn and ended up on a dirt road next to a bamboo forest full of boar-warning signs before we suddenly found ourselves in a quiet neighborhood. Eerily quiet and no movement anywhere. After being lost for quite a while we saw a taxi going in to the neighborhood and luckily managed to catch it going out! Saved by a lonely cab driver!
I’ve gone up and down Fushimi Inari each time I’ve been to Japan(3 times). On the way down, there is a split path with somewhat steep stairs that leads to only a small shrine area. It was somewhat creepy if not for the other handful of people that mistakenly went down that path too. It’s also a decent leg work out.
I understand what you mean: monkeys from touristic places are no joke. They are used to deal with humans and they are scrappy. The ones in Gibraltar are an authentic menace for anyone not following the rules (basically don’t piss them off and don’t bring any food or any plastic bag that may make them think you have food.) The comparison between the footage with the old camera and the new one is amazing 😂
Great article; really like the criss-cross patterns of light you get on the flat ground (not stairs) under the gates when they have two light sources outside the path way. Music went well with it too. But should you really investigate the pipe-bucket when the restrooms are not open … hanging around it seems like it could cause … problems.
I’ve been here at night, definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Wanted to squeeze it in and I was so glad I did. No crowds, beautiful overlook, so quiet and atmospheric. Did hear a boar roaming around though, definitely got the heart started. Met a lovely irish couple on my way down, helped me relax after the boar
When I visited Fushimi Inari this spring during the State of Emergency, I almost had the place to myself. Well, not quite, I saw maybe 30 other people, but it was so nice and quiet and often had moments where I felt like I was alone in this other-worldly tunnel. It was such a change to my previous visit when the path was completely packed with people I could barely walk.
Norm, this is so wonderful!! You have worked a lot on your editing skills and it shows–these past articles this year have been amazing. What a cool experience to have shared with Viktor. I have to say, you have inspired me to explore my area more (esp since travel is so restricted right now), and to go EARLY–it’s SUCH a different vibe when there are few to no people in an area. I’ve learned to love and appreciate nature more and have enjoyed taking photos. Thank you for this!!
All too often after perusal article travelogues, you’re left feeling like you’ve seen it all and there’s no longer any need to go. However I feel the complete opposite perusal your website!! 🌸And now I’d want to see Fushimi Inari at night! I was curious about why many Japanese shrines have soooo many steps leading up to them, other than the often mountainous terrain, so I looked it up and there are a surprisingly large number of reasons!
In no particular order: Fushimi Inari is a phenomenal place, even more phenomenalar at night 😉 Dat camera! Dat view! Dat Scream @_@ Absolutely on my bucket list of places to visit!! Also worth mentioning is that where else other than Japan could you have such a famous landmark open 24/7 and it’s just in beautiful condition with no hint of malicious activity. ⛩❤⛩
That was a such a sweet touch to the ending of your article. Thanks for bringing me here, Norm! I came here two springs ago and I was definitely among the many that underestimate the vastness of this place. I told myself that I’d come back someday to make the trek at night like you did here — if I muster enough courage given the boar advisory. I didn’t know there were aggressive monkeys, too!
Another really beautiful effort. The photography, lighting, composition and editing are all spot on. I have been to Fushimi Inari, but it was several years ago and during the day. Completely different atmosphere with the daylight and the crowds. Very smart move to do it at night and greet the dawn. Bravo.
Explored the shrine at night also last February. The atmosphere and view are just surreal. The shadows cast by the rows of torii gates were also cool. There are actually joggers in the shrine at night so you’re not alone. To me Fushimi Inari is better explored at night; I think the only thing you’ll miss are the shops. I want to go back to Japan so bad!
Norm – shows warning sign for monkeys. Me: “At least it isn’t bears” Norm later on – shows warning sign for boars. Me: “Still not bears”. At least Victor was safe this time round 😂 The lighting from the lights and the moon made the shadows of the Tori gates look amazing. You got some magnificent shots there and yes, you did get a better camera and kept your promise 🥰
Thank you for sharing this. It reminds me so much when I conquered☺️ the Fushimi Inari after failing the year before. It’s truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever acomplished in my life. Climbed just before sunset so I can relate to the night time shots. Keep up your great work Norm, Japan should be very proud of how you represent them. I’m a small but growing fellow youtuber from the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba. Love your articles bro!
Ticked this box in 2018. One my favourite places I visited. Going at the crack of dawn was the best. Absolutely quite little to noone around. Then on the way back down to bottom early morning… OMG 100’s of people. Tip to anyone who wants or ends up going. GET THERE EARLY EARLY it’s the only way to truly absorb it, you won’t regret it.
My knees still hate that place; huffed and puffed three plus hours up and down, drank two liters of water along the way. That vending machine? Seriously saved my ass with the Pocari Sweat inside it. Seriously though – doing it early morning (or even earlier like you did) is probably the best way to experience Fushimi Inari. No rush, less sweat (because it’s cooler). Man I can’t wait to get back to Japan =|
Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of the most magical place I’ve ever visited. Going up from the other way around (the vermilion gates are blank instead of full of kanji) becuz of way less people climbing up and spent my time exploring (almost) every nook and cranny of the place (I even went to that same spot but didn’t find that water pipe!). Your article brings back beautiful memories, thank you so much! <3
Love your stuff… Reminds me a lot of when I lived there. Recommendations for adventures.. If youre still in Kyoto, my favorite shrine was Jizo-in… Its a short walk through a bamboo grove and ignored by most tourists. Its kind of the poor mans Kokke-dera. If you are ever in Chiba prefecture, I would love to see your experiences with Nokogiriyama….
Amazing how respectful the Japanese people, are. Put that shrine in the U.S. — or almost any other country — and there would be graffiti and trash and worse everywhere. I’ve been there; late PM; almost had the whole place to myself. Never knew it was open all night. Top of my list when I get back to Kyoto.
Somehow these articles make me emotional. I’ve always wanted to visit japan and stay for a couple of months just to explore. I was thinking of maybe becoming an exchange student when I get into university ( obviously taking Japanese classes because I really want to learn the language) and do my studies and explore at the same time. But that might be a little too out of reach. Hopefully ill be able to visit one day! ps. you make amazing articles.
This is definitely the way to do Fushimi Inari! Exploring this shrine at night is still easily one of my favorite memories of Japan. I found myself extremely disappointed when I visited in the daytime, because the entire path was clogged shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists taking selfies and shuffling along at a snail’s pace. But if you come back at night, you have the place pretty much all to yourself, and it’s hard to describe how magical it feels.
Video 5 out of 6 from the Halloween binge watch! Honestly might be my fav so far, just the amount of content and things happening in a 10 minute space is so good (would’ve never seen that star if you didn’t mention it). The found footage-esque clip at the end is also so cool, shows that even if you age, some parts of you are just always the same, shoutout to the Fushimi Inari bucket waterfall!
Yes! This is something I always recommend to everyone. Even if you just go up the first little way, go back to Fushimi at night. It’s a must do. In fact, I’d actually recommend it over going during the day if the choices are “middle of the day” or “at night.” Of course, going at or just after sunrise is still great too as you get the day light but no crowds.
You can actually “see the view from the top” of the mountain, but it’s not obvious where. In order to find the overlook you need to walk North, up the stairs at 7:25 and keep going through the otsuka at Kojingamine and out the back. The path is kind of hidden, but soon after exiting the back you’ll come to a big clearing with what looks to be the remnants of billboard stand or something. From there you can get a clear view all the way to Osaka. The view still isn’t as good as Shogunzuka, but it’s pretty impressive. Afterwards you can either continue down the path to end up behind Tofuku-ji, or you can double back to the crossroads and continue along the main loop of the shrine path.
Last December, my husband and I made the rookie mistake of taking the mountain path up the right side through the bamboo forest. I was ok, but he was huffing and puffing and had trouble with climbing the steep rocky footpaths. Didn’t help we were both sick af (probably covid before anyone knew what that was). I also made a cute little family laugh at the stray cat alcove when I called a beautiful fluffy white cat sitting on a log suspended over a ravine a yama no kami.
Nr 23 Fushimi is of course a must see place in Kyoto. I think i saw OnlyinJapans article about Fushimi at night first but this article was amazing and your old footage was also interesting. Now i have a reason to visit the shrine two times,. During the day and the night to really feel the different experiences one might get depending on the time of day 🙂
One of my favorite trips while iI was n Kyoto. I made the climb around 7 or 8 am while it was empty. By the time I got to the bottom it was a crowded mess.The only vantage point is just a bit after the snack shop. I love how you’re kinda in this unique world while making the hike up. I think there were sighs for wild boar, not monkeys.
I LOVED this one I can’t wait for the second one I also came down Fushimi Inari when it was getting dark and it was the BEST (it was hard to endure not to scare a group of teenagers trying to look into a big pot) When this situation is over, I’m going back ASAP, I miss Japan so much Thank you for this article Norm
Great stuff Norm, thanks for taking us along with you. I gotta be honest, I’ve got a real bugbear against harsh lighting like that. It’s always in your face and shining from up high, creates ugly shadows and for me personally it makes it harder to see. I’d rather they have the kind of automatic lighting that we saw at 6:20 which was warm, and while we get the benefit of the illumination, we aren’t being blinded by the light source. It also allows our eyes to adjust and balance the shadows for us. Glad it’s lit, just wish they weren’t so heavy handed about it.
I would love the chill solitude of being able to walk around there at night. A lot of places where I’m from don’t want the public to wander around parks or other buildings at night/after closing though. Was there any worry of police or shrine employees discouraging you from visiting at that hour if you had run into them?
Oh yes, i went to this place at night since i really dislike people crowd, and even do sketching, in the dark, lol. A lot of shadow and light reflection intercept each other. And then i walk at the totally dark trail… but i gave up half way, and then i walk everywhere and see a lot of fox statue, Well, actually i think quite a numbers of japanese couple use this as dating place as well.
When you visit a place as Fushimi Inari mountain you understand is not the complexity of the structures that made it special, isn’t nature (are hundreds of thousands of mountains on earth), but you feel it, that magic feeling while the light defuses in all those forms, day or night, inari mountain will always make you feel her magic, and I asked myself what is it? and the best answer I got was INTENTION, the Japanese people gave sense to this mountain they give her meaning and when you combine that intention with nature the product is simply outstanding, they make you feel like hidden from the human eyes are fox spirits over the place and is the home of a real goddess, when you visit Inari mountain you feel is something there you cant see but is there
I went in 2008, in the middle of the day and there was nobody. It might have been a holiday as all the shops were close, so Japanese people probably knew and decide not to go and it was in the summer after the tsunami and earthquake, so there was less foreign tourist in Japan (actually 3 times less than last year). It was quite a nice experience.
3 years when I was at Fushimi Inari I was getting annoyed by these loud women. It was maybe a quarter way up they went left and I went right and somehow it felt like I went up around the backside of the mountain where there were some rather untouched gravestones and a bamboo grove. Now I’ll have to go back in at night to get this experience. Thanks Norm again for the inspiration
Tried to go here at night back in 2018 but got about 10% of the way up only to find the path was closed off for repairs 😟 Went back the next morning and went up in the light and it was magnificent! One of my favourite memories of my first trip to Japan 😄 Will go back one day and finish the night time climb 🌛
Did a night climb there last year and it was awesome. Just climbed up sipping on a Suntiry Highball. Heard some boar’s rustling in the bushes and saw them scurry off into the trees at one point. During the day even when it is busy if you keep going up past where most people turn around there is eventually a part that splits off the the main path and there was no one up that way and the shrines up there give a real abandoned feel. Keep going up going completely off the path along some bamboos and you come up to this large concrete box half buried with a single locked hatch on top. Really wish I could have opened it up.
Still vividly remembered walking off-path and came to that “waterfall” 5 years ago. Almost got lost walking into the back mountains where the folks were cutting up bamboo shoots and laid it into a basket for any passerby to take, then reaching way pass the top and almost into the woods. So lucky to have directions pointing me back down or I’m most likely on the missing person list. 😂
This was the first of your articles that I saw, Norm. It’s good to revisit it and be inspired again. The blast from the past sounds just like you now – and you delivered on your promise 😃 I remember the days when low-light shots were in complete shadow or clamation colors like the clip from this article.
Thanks for the wonderful night view. I was there mid-March 2007 and started with the first train from Kyoto Station. It was almost empty then. Maybe half a dozen people at most. Dark green foliage setting off the flaming torii. Wild camellias stretched heavenward here and there and a sole early sakura was in full bloom on one of the side paths. I picked up a perfect fallen blossom, pressed it between credit cards and still have it in a scrapbook. I’m glad you caught a little of the grotto area and water. The day I was there haze obscured the city view and the summit anticlimactic: littered with hundreds of burnt out candles and vending machines staggering drunkenly up the slope. More ethereal seen your way. I imagine they are lighting the pathways as the stone steps are uneven. In the dark, serious tumbles or turned ankles would be a significant risk.
It seems creepy cause you’re alone and it’s dark but it is beautiful, too and the place and the silence does give a sense of adventure. The music really helps haha. Also the article at the end, I can’t help but smile knowing you finally did what you said you would do. The article quality and the stuff you saw before… knowing you finally are able to do it again and it seems, in better condition (I mean it’s quiet and you got the place to yourself and you got to film the place from night til morning) is really an awesome though. I wish I could go here someday. In the morning cause I get scared easily. Thanks for making this amazing article.
6:44 was as far as I made it up when I went, and I would have loved to go all the way up. Sadly, one of my friends was tired by then so we just went up there to see the view before we made our way down. Next time I go to kyoto I am definitely going all the way up and hopefully when it’s dark, and early so there’s no one or few people around. Beautiful article
awesome footage! you can feel that you are enjoying that experience so much! was there with my girlfriend two years ago and we wanted to do the second trip in march. then covid came up.. inari was my favourite experience and i got major nostalgia attacks by perusal you article. it’s like walking through a magic forest right out of a ghibli movie. i love it! when we make the trip we will definitely go at night. what a wonderful time!
This article is amazing and inspiring. I’ve been holding onto a vague outline to go to Japan for the last 6 year and this is what got me actually planning a proper itinerary. You’ve completely sold me on the idea of getting to as many locations as possible at very early hours and I will definitively be doing a night visit here. Question though, are most shrine grounds open 24 hours? All of the listed hours, on google, only mention the hours the buildings are open.
Went here towards the end of the day, had it in the light on the way up, sunset from the top of the mountain and back down in the dark, it doesn’t feel creepy in the dark at all and it’s extremely pretty in all lights! Also theres cats everywhere when it gets dark, so you may have been earing the cats!
Went there last year for the first time. I took one of the side paths one the way up and ended up walking though a bamboo trail….that’s where I first saw the monkey and wild boar warnings. That was a sign to get back on the path haha. There was a lady that I crossed paths with on the way to the top wearing heels! I remember the steps getting steeper and steeper on the way up. Little did I know it be 5 km to the top from the train station. I made it to nevertheless. Took a wrong path on the way down but ended up at a spot that had a bunch of street food vendors so it worked out in the end. I enjoyed the article. Brings back memories.
The waterfall xD haha I remember how ice cold that was in the summer it was so nice. There is a spot in Fushimi Inari with a dragon shrine! 😮 it goes decently off path and down into what feels like a forest 0.o Fushimi Inari is and always will be one of my favorite places that I’ve wanted to go see at night as well!
My friend always told me it was a bad idea to do fushimi inari at night because all of the wild animals, but after perusal this, I really really want to go back at night and explore it. Also last time I was there, I bought myself a mini tori gate from a store but that store didn’t offer to write my name, it was a few moments after I came across another one that did so now I need to get one with my name on it next time I go! 😍 ⛩
The quality of your camera at night has got me mad jealous lol. Wish we had more time to explore and shoot, but the sunrise stops for no one lol. Glad we didn’t run into whatever the hell made that noise on the hillside. Legit creeped me out. Good times were had and that Blast from the Past you mentioned, was solid!
Did you ever actually feel like you were alone? I didn’t, while I was there. I got lost in the old shrines and ended up on a path with a torii that had the ropes rotting off it; very creepy, and I drank water at one point from a spout falling into a sort of square hole with steep stairs going down into it that I found out years later was a purification bath (it was kind of like your fount with the bucket, only there were two founts of stone with water falling off them and the hole was large and deeper than I am tall by far.) I ended up in a bamboo forest on (I think) the other side of the mountain, found a little village, and the kind people there got me a taxi to get me to the train station where I had stored my luggage so I could catch my plane on time. Weird, beautiful and unforgettable experience, and the whole time I felt like other people were walking with me.
old article, but I’ve been perusal all your stuff recently. I’m a thread crochet artist (so normally sitting at my home desk) so I very much appreciate your article adventures so much! I love seeing hidden gems, bright/happy people, the willingness to share from strangers, all of the adventures! Such a gentle website <3