Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto is one of the most popular tourist spots in the area. The sprawling shrine is most famous for its path of striking red torii gates and bamboo forest.

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There’s plenty to explore as the shrine grounds are massive, and this intrepid photographer stumbled upon an eccentric little known feature of the religious site. His photos went viral on Twitter, with many people becoming captivated by the magical atmosphere.

At first it may look like an ordinary photo of a shrine, but something seems a little off. If you compare the gates to the trees the proportions seem a bit weird.

Source: sakusaku_rada

Taking a look at the other photos it becomes clear that these torii gates are miniature, creating a tiny shrine within the grounds of Fushimi Inari Taisha.

Source: sakusaku_rada

As a religious site dedicated to the Shinto goddess Inari, the shrine has many statues of foxes, an animal associated with the deity. The tiny gates also have little fox statues, mirroring the full-size shrine.

Source: sakusaku_rada

With the forest surrounding the little gates giving a mystical feeling, it looks like a shrine for fairies.

Source: sakusaku_rada

It just goes to show that when you explore Japan’s many shrines and temples, you never know what hidden treasures you might find.


By - Jess.