Fushimi Inari and Nara

This month has been busy, in a really good way. Every week I've gone somewhere new, or tried something new, and once again I felt the same excitement I had when I initially came to Japan. Whether it's been karaoke, rice planting, or wearing a kimono, I've had a great time. I can't believe that I only have a month left. The reality that I have to return home is starting to set in, and it's honestly making me really sad- but rather than let it get me down, it's further motivation to make as many good memories as possible.

Today I'd like to talk about a couple of "tourist" spots I went this month. The first is Fushimi Inari shrine, located in Kyoto. This shrine is iconic Japan, famous for its hundreds of red torii gates. When I first got off the train, and glimpsed the entrance to the shrine in the distance, I remarked that this was the first time in a while that I felt like a tourist. There were so many people there, and the fact that it was a Saturday meant it was even busier than normal.

Me in front of the entrance to the shrine.

 At the main building, there were fox statues on either side. My teacher explained to the group that foxes were the guardians of this shrine, and messengers of the god Inari.

The main building. If you look carefully, you can see the fox on the right side.

After praying at the main building, we went to the famous torii gates. There are hundreds of these, but we only went through the first set or so. I was a little bit disappointed- I would've liked to go all the way to the top. But since we went as a kind of field trip, it wasn't my place to make those kind of decisions. And, to be frank, a couple of the students had a pretty pessimistic attitude about this trip in the first place (I'm not sure why), and I just kind of wanted the whole thing to be over. Later, I was able to have some time to myself, and that was probably my favorite part of the trip. I was able to enjoy nature, the nice weather, and the shrine without any negative commentary in the background. But despite that, it was really beautiful and peaceful, and I'd love to go back again. 

This isn't the best picture- there were too many people to get a full shot of the gates.

A fox in front of the second set of torii.

The next day, I went to Nara. First off, I just want to say that I love this city. It has a completely different feel from Kyoto or Osaka or Tokyo, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience old Japan. Nara is most famous for its deer, which are considered messengers of the gods, and are allowed to roam freely throughout the city. Unlike American deer, these guys are super friendly. You can feed them, pet them, and even take selfies with them. They're adorable- at least that's what I thought. My friend Tomo was terrified of them, and even screamed when one came up to her, thinking she had food. It was kind of hilarious, to be honest. Luckily, by the end of the day she started to warm up to them.

My new friend.

This deer was perfectly posed here. After taking this picture, she jumped off.

We also visited Todai-ji Temple, which is famous for the Daibutsu, the largest bronze statue of the Buddha in the world. I tried to take some pictures, but the lighting was fairly dim and I couldn't capture anything good. It was amazing, though- you have to see it to believe how big it is.

Todai-ji temple.

After going to the temple, we just wandered around the city, feeding deer and taking pictures. It was a nice day- not too crowded. Eventually, we found ourselves at Kasuga shrine, one of the most famous shrines in Japan. It was beautiful, and again, not too crowded, which was refreshing after being at Fushimi Inari the day before.

A word to the wise: if you plan on going to Nara, be prepared to walk. By the end of the day, all three of us were super tired. On the plus side, it was really good exercise. But when we returned to Osaka for dinner, we waited in line for this ramen restaurant for probably 40+ minutes. My feet were killing me. It was worth it, though, because it was the best ramen I've ever had. And suffering is always worth it if there's food involved.

Well, that was a little slice of my life this month! I hope you enjoyed it. Soon, I plan on writing a post about my first time wearing a kimono, so stay tuned for that!