Day 56 - 25th of October

9:26am　普通電車

天気：曇り

I'm with Katie on the local train to 伏見稲荷 (Fushimi Inari). It looks like it's going to be a cool day; overcast. We're not the only ones travelling. Carly is on a field trip, and Ash is going to a doujinshi convention - doujinshi are fan-made comic books. We all started out on the 9:06 bus, and then went our separate ways at the station.

4:06　普通電車
We're on the train back to Makino now. Today was fantastic... After getting off the train it was only a short walk to Fushimi Inari. The main grounds were quite expansive and we explored for a while before the festival. Soon after 11, the ceremony began in the main building. We were told not to take photo's and I felt compelled to oblige. The priests were first purified, and then they entered the building. They brought out a number of offerings on trays representing the years harvest; fish and vegetables and the like. Then, four women, sickle in their right hand, and bundle of rice in the left, performed a ceremonial dance to song and music from the orchestra. After the dance was complete, the offerings were put away, and after prayers and bowing, the priests left the building, followed by a procession of others; we decided to follow.

As we made our way through the forest, a Japanese woman came up to us and started speaking English. She explained to us the significance of the portable shrine, and how the danjiri didn't used to have wheels, they were carried; people have become weaker. We came upon a small field of rice, yet to be harvested. At this point, it was acceptable for us to take photos, so I recorded the event. The portable shrine (small and carried by two) was opened and some sort of box was taken out. Then the music and dance began again. At the same time, and group of people from the procession began to harvest the rice in the traditional fashion; with the sickle. They completed about a quarter before the music came to a close. Then, taking a bunch of the newly harvested rice, the priest placed it on the "box", before putting it back in the portable shrine. After the ceremony was completed, they continued to work in the field. The lady explained that only 40 years ago, rice was still harvested this way, and the straw was used for so many things; hats, shoes, mats... but no more.

It was about 12 at this point, so we decided to have lunch before heading up the mountain. We went to a small restaurant out on the street, and ordered from the plastic samples out front; I ordered an egg and rice, and noodle set. After lunch we began out hike through the 鳥居 (torii - shrine gates). It was absolutely incredible. There were literally 1000's upon 1000's upon 1000's of vermillion gates all the way up the mountain. We walked all the way to the top, through silent cedar forests and bamboo groves, and past 100's of sub-shrines with there own mini torii, and fox statues, all dedicated to Inari - the god of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, industry, and worldly success. I felt a profound connection with the nature around us. It wasn't too crowed and at some points it was so quiet, we felt that we shouldn't speak. At the middle of the climb, there was a great view of Kyoto; we stopped there to eat our apples after looping around the top.

Every single gate had writing on it; the year it was made and the sponsor. As old ones rotted away they were eventually replaced with new ones we gathered. Because of this, there were so many different shades of red. I was a bit disappointed that the leaves hadn't changed yet, but the green actually created a great contrast to the red of the gates. As usual, there were many stray cats around. We didn't end up getting down until almost 4. Katie bought a few trinkets and then we got on the train. Now we're back in Makino...

11:21pm

It's late I know. Came home about 5, had dinner, then studied for a bit. Tomorrow, I don't have my speaking class, so I don't have to be at uni until 12. This will give my time to study some more, and do my laundry.