November 6, 2012

Hie Shrine in Akasaka, Part 2

Hie Shrine in Akasaka, continued.

Climbing the long and steep steps leading up to the shrine has been made easy with the addition of this escalator.

This was past a closed-off area, so I couldn't see where this tunnel led to.


Someone had donated a couple of inarizushi, bought from the nearby conbini.

I thought these stalls were for horses, but it seems they hold mikoshi, temporary shrines that are most frequently seen hoisted up onto the shoulders of festival-goers.

The entrance to renzoku-torii, which are rows and rows of torii gates.

It seems that a gate is added every year, often sponsored by a local shop or company. They can be in a straight row like here, or arranged according to the path like here.

When you get to the bottom of the gates, you are faced with this giant gray torii. It was actually viewing this torii from a distance around two and a half years ago that made me decide I wanted to visit this place sometime.

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