Japan

Sanctuary

Vermilion, all shades of vermilion. A colorist’s delight. I photographed in Kodachrome, to add the shimmer of their hues to the graphic beauty of the structures, all similar and closing in on each other ad infinitum…

The string of norii – the gantries – at Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari temple stretches for miles. it took me two hours to go through them all. They were donated by businessmen eager to draw the blessing of Inari, god of rice and prosperity, on their businesses, and by grateful families. In the distance, a priest came towards me, bringing the sacred walk to life for the time of a photo.

Hans Silvester.