Fushimi Inari Shrine, Vermilion Torii-gates

Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社, Fushimi Inari Taisha) is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto. It is famous for its thousands of vermilion torii-gates which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings.

The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds.

Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto God of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari’s messengers, resulting in many fox statues across the shrine grounds.

It’s easy to get to the main Kyoto station. If you have a Japan Rail pass, it is free for you to get on the JR Nara line and go two stops to Fushimi. Just show your pass as you go through next to the ticket office. The shrine is directly opposite the station. Trains go every 10 minutes or so during the day.

There’s a lot of Torii Gate throughout the hill behind the shrine. And you had best come here early in the morning. Because after 9 am, there’re too many tourists including foreign and Japanese. If you want to take the best photo here, you should come by 7 am.

There are many souvenir shops here as well selling plenty of fox-themed merchandise. There are local street food vendors on the side path leading away from the site and we enjoyed trying a few of those.

We just love the fox statues which are said to be the messengers of God and are often found in Inari shrines. One attribute is a key (for the rice granary) in their mouths.

If you wish to take iconic photos of multiple Torii without having other people photobomb them, or with visitors in the background, I suggest waiting to take photos when you get near the peak.

A lot of people who first get to the entrance go wild and start snapping away with their cameras. Nothing wrong with that, but the Torii trail goes on for a very long time, and as you go higher and higher, there are fewer and fewer people.

Although we didn’t count, we wouldn’t doubt this shrine has 10,000 red gates. It took us approximately an hour to hike up to the top but worth it. This shrine is so unique and so much more memorable than this is a “must-see.

Address            : 68 Yabunouchi-cho, Fukakusa Fushimi-ku, Kyoto

Entrance Fee   : Free

Hours                : Always open

Access 

Fushimi Inari Shrine is located just outside JR Inari Station, the second station from Kyoto Station along the JR Nara Line (5 minutes, 140 yen one way from Kyoto Station, not served by rapid trains). If you have a Japan Rail pass, it is free for you to get on the JR Nara line