Day 12 - The Great Cake-scapade

I'm going to talk about today in reverse. That's because the last thing I did didn't have anything to do with Japan and so I want to get it out of the way. I think I mentioned yesterday how I was going to buy a cake to celebrate my friends' wedding. Well, I had to settle for cheesecake. I thought it would be best to get a real cake, being a wedding and all, and I really did try very hard, but to no avail.

I searched two supermarkets, three specialty bakeries, and a department store, and I could not find an honest-to-God cake. From this I can surmise one of two things: either there is a terrible cake shortage in Japan, or the Japanese just aren't that into cake.

"Not into cake?", you say. "How can anyone hate cake?"

Well, actually, I do. That's kind of why I'm not upset that I had to settle for its cheesier cousin. Nevertheless, it shows a cultural difference in how they view desserts. Cheesecakes were everywhere, as were these roll things where cake-like bread is rolled with some derivative of whipped cream and various sweets. Also you have your custards and your jellies, and I've already gone into the amazing pastries here. The common denominator I have noticed is fruit. And cake has no fruit. That must be why. Actually I have no idea why, this is just speculation.

Nevertheless, I got a cheesecake with berries baked into it to celebrate their wedding here in Japan.

mmm...cheesecake.

The other thing I did, the thing I did first, was visit the Fushimi-Inari Shrine in Kyoto, which scales a mountain. A common feature of Shinto Shrines is the Torii gate, as you have seen in my pictures before. Well, This particular shrine is known for its Torii gates.

lots and lots of torii gates.

The trails are literally lined with torii gates. It was a fair hike up to the fourth station, which has a small restaurant and ice cream shop, and that is as far as most people go. To which I say: I didn't come to Japan to do things half way. So I hiked for another hour and a half to get around the steep looping trail that went up to the topmost shrine on the mountain and back down again. At shrines all over the mountain, people would pray and ring the bell in the shrine and pay an offering. I was particularly amazed by the volume of the gates, as you can see from the picture above, there were hundreds. The numbers thinned somewhat as you go farther up the hill, but you can still see the stone bases that they were once planted on, indicating that age has taken a number of the gates from the hillside.

Also, there were statues of foxes all over the mountain, the symbol of the shrine. In the foxes' mouths they often are seen carrying small objects, sometimes keys. The keys, I have heard, are supposed to be for the grain shed. It is important to note that the numerous torii gates (the link is in the last paragraph if you missed it) are all donated. For a few thousand dollars you too can have your name carved on the back of a torii gate at the Fushimi-Inari-Taisha. This is probably because this shrine is celebrated as a place to pray at for greater wealth. 

I wish I had greater wealth.

Cory