Lake Ashi and Mt . Fuji to Nanzenji Temple . As well , if you are not too tired , you may want to visit the Shinto shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha , which is one of Kyoto ’ s oldest and most revered shrines . Fushimi Inari honors the god of agriculture ( rice and rice wine ) and prosperity . You will be amazed at the walking path that leads through a tunnel of torii gates which are made of wood and painted orange and black . There are also a few restaurants along the way , which feature pieces of aburaage ( fried tofu ) said to be a favorite food of foxes . The connection between Fushimi Inari Taisha and foxes is that foxes are thought to be Inari ’ s messengers , so as well as many statues dedicated to this Shinto god , you will also see many fox statues across the shrine grounds .
We encourage you to consider a trip to Japan . See the cherry blossoms drift lightly in the wind , do some major sightseeing and shopping in Tokyo , and then immerse yourself — body and soul — into the Ryokan hot springs , and the Shinto shrines and gardens of Kyoto . It ’ s a spectacular place to visit .
GETTING THERE
Daily nonstop service from Dulles International Airport ( IAD ) to Narita International Airport ( NRT ) on All Nippon Airways ( ANA ) and United Airlines ( UAL ).
A NOTE REGARDING TRAIN TRAVEL
The train stations in Japan do not have porters and there are also only small luggage compartments on the trains — hence it is preferable not to have suitcases that are too large . You will need to handle your own pieces of luggage . We suggest you take suitcases that are on wheels and modestly sized . The stations mostly have escalators , but occasionally you may encounter a few steps . There is the option to have excess luggage shipped to an onward destination . This can be arranged directly with your hotel .
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