Aug 7, 2012

伏見稲荷大社 Fushimi Inari Taisha

京都の伏見稲荷大社に行ってきました。

I went to Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto.

その起源は711年にまで遡ります。全国に30,000社もあるといわれる稲荷神社の総本宮です。

Established in 711, Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head of all the 30,000+ Inari Shrines throughout Japan.

伏見稲荷といえば鳥居が有名。

It's famous for these torii.

すごい数です。

A lot of them!!
とってもきれいでした。全部で5,000基以上あるそうですよ。
個人や企業が奉納したもので、後ろに奉納者の名前が書かれています。

Wow, beautiful!  There are more than 5,000 torii in total.
They are donated by individuals or corporations, and their names are on the back of each torii.


伏見稲荷大社の背後にあるのは稲荷山。そこにはお社がいくつもあって、鳥居をたどって、それらを巡るのが「お山めぐり」です。
こんな手書きの地図がはってありました。わかるかな?

Fushimi Inari Taisha sits at the base of a mountain called Mt. Inari.  There are several shrines in the mountain. You follow the torii, and tour these shrines.
Does this hand-written map give you some idea?  



中世からお山巡りは行われていたようです。

From medieval times, people visited these shrines in Mt. Inari.  

「枕草子」にもお山巡りが出てきます。清少納言がある2月の初午に稲荷の社に詣でました。なんとか上の社まで行きたいと思っても苦しくて、暑くて、涙をこぼしたいほどだったとのこと。

Seisho Nagon(966-1017), a court lady in Heian period, wrote in her famous book, "The Pillow Book."  One day in February, she visited Mt. Inari.  She wanted to go to the shrine on the top, but it was so hard climbing the mountain.  She was so hot and she wanted to cry. 

でも清少納言がお山巡りをしたのは2月のこと。それで「暑くて涙をこぼしたいほど」だったのなら、この酷暑の8月に私は?

Well, if she was so hot and wanted to cry in February, what about me climbing there in AUGUST??

Up! 上って
Down! 下がって
Up again!! また上がって!
私は暑くて、溶けて蒸発しちゃいそうでした。
\(◎o◎)/
(でも写真ではそれほど暑そうに映っていないのが悔しい。)

I was crying my eyes out!  I was melting and evaporating!!
\(◎o◎)/
(But these pictures don't show how hot it was, do they?) 


お社の後ろにはたくさんの塚がありました。神秘的な山です。

Each shrine has these interesting mounds behind it.
The mountain is filled with mystic air.  

暑かったけれど、なんとか上の社まで上りきりました。

And let me just show you proudly, this is the shrine on the top.
(^_^)v


さて、ここは稲荷神社ですから、神様の使いのきつねがたくさんいました。

Many of you may already know that foxes are the messengers of Inari.  So, at Fushimi Inari, you can see many foxes. 

a very dynamic fox at the entrance 入口にある躍動的なきつね
Water comes down from his mouth...but it must be hard for him
口から水を吐き出しています。大変そうな格好ですね。
carved fox 社殿の彫刻にもきつね
fox with a key 鍵をくわえたきつね
fox with ears of rice 稲穂をくわえたきつね

beautiful ones この2匹はすらりとかっこいいですね

these look old 古そうなきつねもあちこちに
暑かったですが、とてもきれいで興味深い伏見稲荷大社でした。

It was soooo hot, but it was a nice interesting shrine.


にほんブログ村 英語ブログ 国際交流へ

4 comments:

Rurousha said...

Thankyouthankyouthankyou! ^^ This is my favourite shrine in Japan!

I started laughing when I read that Sei Shonagon thought it was too hot in February. Those court ladies really needed a gym subscription!

I once walked up in June, and that was bad enough. I think in August I would just park myself under a waterfall and wait there until October.

PS: Were the cicadas very noisy?

Merry Witch said...

Yes, the cicadas were very noisy.

I thank YOU for making me want to go to Fushimi Inari Taisha. It has definitely become one of my favorite shrines, too!

Rurousha said...

It's my fault? I'm guilty? :D

Good! I'm glad I could look at more photos of Fushimi. ^^

So where will you go next? Will you remain in Kyoto for a few more days?

Merry Witch said...

Well, I'm back in Saitama now.

But later this month, I will make another trip to Izumo Taisha and "Little Kyoto of San-in," Tsuwano. And you know? They have another Inari Shrine. \(^o^)/