Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto

Head shrine of Japan's some 30,000 Inari shrines. Walk the red torii tunnels of Senbon Torii and hike 233m Mount Inari, right by the station.

The large vermilion Romon gate at the entrance of Fushimi Inari Taisha — Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A pair of stone fox statues in red bibs beside a small torii at night — Photo: Eraevsky, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Head shrine of "Oinari-san", more than 1,300 years old

Fushimi Inari Taisha is a Shinto shrine in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. According to the shrine, the Inari deity (Inari Okami) came to dwell on Mount Inari in 711 (the fourth year of the Wado era). It is the head shrine of the Inari shrines, said to number about 30,000 across Japan, and people come to pray for good harvests of rice and other grains, business prosperity and the safety of their households.

The shrine explains that the foxes here are not the foxes of the hills and fields but kenzoku, invisible messengers of the gods. That is why stone fox statues stand all over the grounds.

Senbon Torii, and why people donate torii

Mount Inari is lined with thousands of vermilion torii (the gates that mark a shrine), and the best known stretch is Senbon Torii ("a thousand torii"), where they stand with no gaps between them. These torii were donated by individuals and companies.

The custom of donating torii is said to have spread in the late Edo period: people offered them in the hope that a wish would "go through", or in thanks once it had gone through. According to the shrine, vermilion expresses bright hope and is also the colour of life and the earth.

O-yama meguri: walking Mount Inari

Going round Mount Inari to worship is called o-yama suru ("doing the mountain"), a practice dating back to the Heian period. According to JNTO (the Japan National Tourism Organization), a full circuit of the mountain takes about 2 to 3 hours. There are teahouses and souvenir shops along the way.

Even if you just go a little beyond Senbon Torii and turn back, you get plenty of the atmosphere of the torii tunnels. If you are heading for the summit, bring comfortable shoes and something to drink.

Getting there and shrine etiquette

The shrine is right in front of Inari Station on the JR Nara Line. From Fushimi-Inari Station on the Keihan line it is about 7 minutes' walk.

The shrine sets out a list of prohibited acts as requests to visitors. These include smoking or using fire; flying drones and the like; damaging torii, buildings or trees; eating and drinking outside designated areas; littering; approaching or feeding wild animals; bringing pets (except assistance dogs and similar); commercial photography, or photography that blocks the approach path; and clothing unsuitable for worship, such as wedding dresses. Anyone who does not follow staff instructions will be asked to leave.

Tips

Allow 2 to 3 hours if you want to walk the full circuit of the mountain. You can turn back at any point.
Eating and drinking are banned outside designated areas. Finish any street food before you enter the shrine grounds.
Stopping on the approach path to take photos blocks the way and is not allowed. Keep an eye on the flow of people around you.
Part of the fun is trying kitsune udon and inari-zushi in the area; both are named after aburaage (fried tofu), said to be a fox's favourite food.