The first stop in Kyoto was the Fushimi Inari Shrine. If you have ever seen pictures of Japan you probably have seen it! This shrine has hundreds of torii gates snaking along a path. It is very beautiful. We went early in the morning and the light coming down through the trees and over the gates made for a very beautiful experience.
In addition to walking through the gates we also went into the shrine and had the new company blessed by the priests. It was very calming to watch and participate in the ceremony. The name of the company was written on a piece of paper, the paper was brought in on a tray and then placed in front of the altar. Words were spoken over it and then a palm (?) branch was presented to us and it was placed on the table. Two claps, bow, two claps. At the end of the ceremony they gave us a small sip of saki.

