I decided to hire a bike for a few days in Kyoto as it’s a small town and what better way to explore then to bike around using a map and getting lost every so often.
Most people ride the bike on the pavements and even riding on the road is very safe. My hotel was next to the main station and there was a bike shop around the corner, I hired the bike for three days and parked it outside the hotel at night.
The bike came with a lock and bell and didn’t cost much. To get to the inari I had to ride south west, it was about 30-45mins mostly due to not knowing if I was on path or not, when I got there it was obvious due to the crowd of tourists.
There is no entry fee but expect lots of people, if possible go early morning, 6-7am. I found it very hard to take pics with no one in the frame, after about an hr of trying I finally got 1 shot!
I explored a few off track places at the Inari shrine and got some good shots.
I was told that each pole is provided by all businesses in Japan and they get their business engraved on the orange pole in black, such a great idea and tradition. I didn’t decide to go all the way to the top plus was getting hungry to decided to head back again through the tunnel.
On my way I met another photographer from Canada who gave me a tip to ask two girls dressed up in traditional cloths if they would let me take their pic and I would then email it to them and they agreed.
It ended up being one of my best shots of the trip of the girl turning back in the tunnel, you can see in the video.
It’s great meeting other photographers and sharing tips and suggestions on where to visit next. I highly recommend visiting this place and being blown away by the colours and atmosphere.
I actually ended up going here twice, the first time I went my pictures didn’t come out well but with better planning and patience I finally got them.