There are 2 locations in Western Japan right now (both are on the main island of Japan- Honshu) that travelers just can't get enough of at the moment, and who can blame them!! They are just so intrinsically Japanese that everyone just wants to see and touch these magnificent locations.
The Motonosumi Inari Shrine is one of them! It is located in the far reaches of Yamaguchi Prefecture on the Sea of Japan side facing the 2nd largest city of Korea, namely Busan or Pusan depending on who you talk to. The location is so remote that basically without a car or a private driver you literally have no way of getting here. Even with a car you are still looking at considerable driving time from either Fukuoka or Hiroshima which seems to be where most of the tourists are coming from.
Now, before you jump on a tour this attraction does come with caveats. First and foremost, simple put when the weather isn't great, the attraction really doesn't live up to its reputation. However on a fine and sunny day you just cannot get enough of the locations beauty and its Japanese iconic image that is just so overpowering.
Just look at the contrast between these sets of photos to see where I am coming from.
The Motonosumi Inari Shrine on a rainy/ cloudy/ damp day:
As you can clearly see, the destination is still impressive but it doesn't have the wow factor that it usually has on a nice clear sunny day. Check out the difference, its like chalk and cheese. The bright red Vermillion Torii gates obviously needs a more significant bright background to shine and highlight their real identity.
Other the flip side, check out these photos of the red Vermillion gates on a beautiful winters day. This is the reason why people want to go and interact with such a place. A day like this will etch those memories deep into your memory banks. Even for me, who has been here multiple times in the last 3 or 4 years, a day like this makes the long drive well worth it.
Enjoy these pics and click on the photos to enlarge:
Check out the Motonosumi Inari Shrine here below on a map:
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