Kyoto day 2: Fushimi Inari Taisha mountain and Nijo-jo castle

Fushima Inari Taisha is a spectacular Buddhist track placed in the southern eastern part of Kyoto, just two stations (3km) away from the Kyoto train station, 5 min walk if you take off at Inari station, JR Nara line (make sure you take the nin rapid train since only the local ones stop at that station). Bare in mind you would need at least 4 hours to accomplish this track as it goes up the summit. When you get off the train you enter a beautiful Japanese market style street with lots of small shops like this shop which is making delicious savory rice balls:

You walk up the street to the temples ground. You pass the first red gate on your way up, and then the journey starts. The pathways are running between those red gates, some of them the height of a person, others are taller. If you look back you would see the Japanease scripture which basically telling the day, month and year in which that specific gate was erected:

There are some stations with view of Kyoto on the way, and some

The fact that I managed to take some photos without people and selfies hide the fact that the place was packed with millions of tourists and pilgrims, this is how it really looked, in an extremely rainy day:

From there we took a train and subway to Nijo-Jo castle, a 400 years castle which witnessed some of the most important events in Japan’s history. In 1601 Ieyasu Tokugawa,, the founder of the first Shogun Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867). The build was completed in 1603. The place is magnificently big and contains defense tunnels, towers, green gardens , water & stone gardens and the main castle building. In August 1750 the keep tower was lost in fire, in 1915 the state ceremony for the coronation of the Taisho Emperor is held in the place. The castle includes lots of special Japanease art on the walls and the construction is impressive.