Religion in Kyoto: Restore and Relate in Fushimi-Inari

Our class trip to Fushimi-Inari was beautiful, educational, and completely tiring. I think it was a really good class bonding activity since we all got separated from our cliques into different groups, essentially, based on stamina. In a way, the tiredness and the bonding felt like a religious experience and pilgrimage; two things we focus heavily on in class.

The hike made me think about all of the people who had to help build the tori gates and how far they had to walk everyday to complete their task. Those people had so much dedication and faith that they managed to complete the building, construction, engraving, and painting of each individual gate. As someone who could barely make it up the mountain, I was humbled to see all of the construction workers who were busy repairing and maintaining the gates in full sleeves and jeans in the hot and humid weather.

Even though it was uncomfortably humid, I could still appreciate the time I had with my friends and the beautiful scenery. I felt a little bit of the impermanence that we learned about in class while my legs were shaking and slowly losing function, but I kept thinking about how the pain would be replaced with a sense of peace and accomplishment when I was encouraged to make it to the top by my classmates. At Fushimi-Inari, I think I learned a bit more about peace, pain, and religious dedication. Next time I'll write about my adventures in Kyoto during my free time!