3,000 Torii Gates
by 23KC1028 Kana Kaneko
In March, I visited Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto to experience historical architecture. This season was perfect for sightseeing because the temperature was just right, and I met many tourists. It was the perfect time to travel. We arrived at Fushimi Inari Shrine around noon. We took a nature-viewing train to head there. As soon as we arrived, we could see the Otorii gate. It was so large and magnificent that three people standing side by side could not reach it.
Once inside, I first drew a omikuji, a written oracle. There were more varieties than usual, and I drew the result of a name I had never come across before. My friends and I showed each other the results. My grandmother told me that it was bad luck to show the result of the fortune to others, but we enjoyed showing it to each other. Other tourists were also enjoying the fortune telling.
After climbing the stairs, we finally arrived at the famous Senbon-torii. It is 400 meters long, and about 3,000 torii gates stand in a row. We were so impressed by the solemnity of the gates that we desperately snapped the shutter. Other tourists were also recording their memories by taking videos and photos. As we walked along, we began to notice the names written next to the torii gates. It was the name of the person who had offered the torii for the prosperity of business. We were desperate to find someone with the same name as ours, and before we knew it, we had reached the halfway point.
The torii gate gets smaller and smaller from the entrance to the middle of the gate. The way the sun's rays enter the shrine changes, and you can also enjoy the shadows. As I was walking toward the exit, a cat was also strolling along, looking cool. The time spent walking through the Senbon-Torii gate was filled with excitement and emotion. It was a trip filled with many new encounters.