Konbanwa :)

Canon Rebel - somehow I lost the image data:(  I recall having it on a higher ISO, probably 400, and the shutter open for about 1/60.

This image was taken whilst strolling around a temple complex (Fushimi Inari Taisha) in Kyoto, Japan.  We had taken the a path which included many temples, and after walking around this area we were in a section that ended with a strip of temple restaurants.  Now, when I say "strip", I mean a cool stone-paved road lined with lanterns like the one behind the washing station in the picture.  And when I say restaurants, I mean small, ancient looking buildings with gardens out front, filled with tatami mat rooms and hosted by the humblest of owners.  From a website on Kyoto travel they describe the restaurants this way:

"Along the way, there are multiple smaller shrines with stacks of miniature torii gates that were donated by visitors with smaller budgets. There are also a few restaurants along the way, which offer locally themed dishes such as Inari Sushi and Kitsune Udon ("Fox Udon"), both featuring pieces of aburaage (fried tofu), said to be a favorite food of foxes"  http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3915.html


p.s I love Inari sushi...always have. Though the experience of what we ate at the restaurant that evening still stays with me and it was 3 years ago!  This calls for another picture:

I can't recall what everything was, but it was super yummy!!!!!  There were different types of tofu, including inari, a pickle selection and vegetables.  In the middle of the table was a burner with a hotpot of tofu and seaweed, which you served yourself using the flat metal spoon, then dipped in the sauce located in the middle of the plate. 

 

I almost wished we had been able to go back to this area during the day, but I really loved all of the lit lanterns and the fact that it was almost deserted, which also created a sense of being lost in time.  I imagined monks practicing their forms in the courtyard, the smell of incense lingering in the air, and villagers coming to cleanse themselves at the station before praying in the temples.

Kyoto.  It was indeed a magical place to visit, and I hope that I can make it back there someday.