Inquiry in Japan - Day 2
Photo Galleries | Posted Feb 10, 2011
Program: Inquiry
Monday, January 3
In the morning we visited the stunningly beautiful Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine. Honoring Inari, the god of rice and patron of business, the shrine is known for the some 10,000 red-orange torii (gates) lining its footpaths, all donated by Japanese businesses.
We then made our way to Tofuku-ji, a Buddhist temple modeled after those in Nara. Serving as the head temple of the Tofuku-ji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, the temple is known as one of the Kyoto Gozan, or “five great Zen temples of Kyoto.”
Then we crossed the city to visit the breathtaking Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Perhaps second only to Mount Fuji in significance as a national symbol and a must-see for visitors, Kinkaku-ji is designated as a National Special Historic Site and is one of the 17 World Cultural Heritage sites in Kyoto. We departed for Hiroshima by train in the evening.