{"id":1379,"date":"2009-11-28T00:07:28","date_gmt":"2009-11-27T15:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2009-11-28\/1379"},"modified":"2009-11-28T00:07:28","modified_gmt":"2009-11-27T15:07:28","slug":"gate-of-disrepair-kanda-inari-shrine-at-the-himukai-shrine-kyoto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2009-11-28\/1379","title":{"rendered":"Gate of Disrepair: Kanda Inari Shrine (at the Himukai Shrine, Kyoto)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 14-24mm f\/2.8 @ 20 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 560 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nZak Braverman photographs the main gate to the\nKaneda Inari Taisha Shrine<\/span>\nKyoto, Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

Buddhist shrines and Shinto temples can be almost any size, ranging from\nhuge sprawling multi-building complexes, down to little things a few<\/span> feet\nsquare. Often they're found in clusters, so it was no surprise when Zak Braverman<\/a> and I went<\/span> to visit\nthe small Himukai Shrine<\/a>\ntucked away at the base of a mountain<\/span> in eastern Kyoto, we found next to\nthe parking lot a tiny<\/span> room-sized shrine, the Kaneda Inari Shrine.<\/p>\n\n

What was somewhat surprising (to me, at least) was the state of its\ngate, rotting so much that I didn't<\/span> dare touch it for fear of toppling\nit.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGate of Disrepair<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 2200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“Kaneda Inarai Taisha”<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Inarai shrines are dedicated to commercial\/worldly success, and as I\ndescribed<\/span> in “Kyoto's Dazzling Fushimi Inari Shrine<\/a>” post about the\nshrine 5km away with thousands of gates like this, they are donated by\npatrons hoping for good fortunes. If well maintained<\/span> they can last for a\nlong<\/span> time, but if not, well, they very apparently don't last that long.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 1600 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“October 1993”<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLeafy Lichen<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNice View, Though<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 450 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFox of Many Lichen<\/span>\nfox idols are another hallmark<\/a> of Inari shrines\n<\/div>\n\n

I liked the foxes. According to the inscription, the fox statues dated\nfrom the 1950s. They looked much older; I suspect<\/span> the location in the\nhollow at the base of a mountain<\/span> with little direct sunlight leads to a\ncontinually<\/span> humid environment good for lichen and bugs; not so good for\nwood and stone.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nStructurally Sound<\/span>\n( the sound of crashing timber )\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 66 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 1100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLast Legs<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The shape of the cement footers make for easy recognition, and so when\nyou find a pile<\/span> of broken footer pieces somewhere, you know that a gate<\/span>\nused to stand nearby.<\/p>\n\n

At least this one was still standing... one couldn't say the same to its\nfriend in the scrap heap a few<\/span> meters away...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 35 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nScrap<\/span>\namong lots of other stuff, the remains of an orange gate\n<\/div>\n\n

Despite being fairly out of the way, there was a steady<\/span> stream of other\nphotographers visiting. Nothing like the teeming throngs at the\nEikando Temple<\/a>... maybe another few people every 10 or 15 minutes... so\nit was quite pleasant. But Zak and<\/span> I were<\/span> the only ones to pay any\nattention to the poor little gate....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 1000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOther Aims<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

What on earth could draw their attention away from such a noteworthy<\/span> sight, you ask?<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nColorful Entrance to the Himukai Shrine<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Continued here...<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buddhist shrines and Shinto temples can be almost any size, ranging from huge sprawling multi-building complexes, down to little things a few feet square. Often they're found in clusters, so it was no surprise when Zak Braverman and I went to visit the small Himukai Shrine tucked away at the base of a mountain in eastern Kyoto, we found next to the parking lot a tiny room-sized shrine, the Kaneda Inari Shrine.<\/p>

What was somewhat surprising (to me, at least) was the state of its gate, rotting so much that I didn't dare touch it for fear of toppling it.<\/p> [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,2,6,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}