An expert overview to help you experience Fushimi Inari Taisha
All images are provided by Ollie Ronin, unless otherwise stated, and are protected under copyright law.
Overview
After working as a tour guide in Kyoto for 3 years, I've discovered many secrets and strategies to get the absolute most out of this incredible city. This article will help you plan your trip and make sure you have the best possible experience at one of the busiest attractions in Japan.
The Fushimi Inari Shrine, also known as Fushimi Inari Taisha, is famous for its thousands of torii gates which are densely packed together, surrounded by forest, and stretch across the entire mountain.
The Fushimi Inari Shrine mainly consists of:
The street food market near the entrance.
The main shrine that sits at the base of the mountain.
The Senbon Torii, which is the most densely packed section of the shrine, containing over 1000 torii gates.
The 'secret' bamboo forest.
The upper section which leads to a viewpoint looking over southern Kyoto.
The area beyond the viewpoint which includes various sub-shrines and torii gates deeper within the forest.
Access
Fushimi Inari is only a 5 minute train ride from Kyoto Station or the main downtown area such as Gion and Pontocho Alley. There are two train stations you can use for travelling to Fushimi Inari Taisha:
Inari Station is used if you're travelling from Gion, Sanjo, or Higashiyama
Fushimi-Inari Station is used if you're travelling from Kyoto Station or Osaka.
Fushimi Inari is open 24/7 and is completely free. This is the entrance on Google Maps.
FAQ
The Main Features of Fushimi Inari
The Best Accommodation
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Fushimi Inari famous for?
Fushimi Inari is famous for its thousands of torii gates which have been donated by individuals and businesses seeking favor from the Shinto god of rice, known as Inari. The torii gates cover numerous hiking trails that run throughout the forest and up the mountain.
2. How old is Fushimi Inari?
Fushimi Inari Taishi was originally founded 1300 years ago, in the year 711. The area was known for its lush rice fields and fresh spring water, so the shrine was developed in an attempt to seek favor from the god of rice.
3. Why are there so many torii gates at Fushimi Inari? What do they mean? And how many are there?
The torii gates are donations to the shrine by businesses, and to a lesser extent, individuals. Fushimi Inari is the grand shrine for the god of rice, known as Inari. The god of rice is associated with prosperity and a successful business, so it's common for businesses to donate to the shrine in order to receive good luck for their future. The custom of donating torii gates to the shrine began about 400 years ago during the Edo Period (1603–1868), and gradually the number of torii gates grew and developed into what you see today.
You'll notice text on the actual torii gates, this represents the name of the business donating to the shrine, and also the kanji for Fushimi. The main Senbon Torii section, which only takes a few minutes to walk through, contains over 1000 gates. But the entire mountain and shrine is believed to contain over 10,000 gates of various sizes.
Anyone with enough money can donate to the shrine and receive their own torii gate, depending on the size and location, the price ranges from $4000 to over $10,000.
The trail on the Fushimi Inari hike in the early morning
4. How much time do you need for Fushimi Inari?
If you're only interested in the main shrine area and the Senbon Torii, then 1 hour is plenty of time to enjoy the area.
If you would like to explore more of the shrine and hike to the viewpoint, this will take about 45 minutes, so allowing 1.5 or 2 hours would be ideal.
If you want to explore the deeper areas of the shrine and hike the paths that lie beyond the viewpoint, then a total of 3 hours is needed.
The shrine also has is a small street food market and some souvenir shops, so factor in some extra time to check those out too.
5. How crowded is Fushimi Inari? How do you avoid the crowds? What's the best time to visit?
Fushimi Inari is the most popular shrine in Japan, it receives approximately 10 million visitors each year. The best time to visit Fushimi Inari to avoid the crowds is during the sunrise or at nighttime after 6pm. During normal hours you will need to be mentally prepared for large crowds of people, especially during the peak tourism season which occurs during the cherry blossom season from mid-March to early April, and during the autumn leaves season in the second half of November.
Here are the 3 best strategies for avoiding the crowds at Fushimi Inari:
Arrive at sunrise, which is around 6am during winter, and around 5am during summer. Arriving so early may be difficult, but the shrine has a completely different feeling when it's quiet and peaceful.
Head deeper into the shrine, beyond the main viewpoint.
Go there at night time while everyone else is eating dinner.
6. Is it worth it to hike to the viewpoint?
This really depends on the person and how much time you have in Kyoto. For many people, the answer is yes, although it's worth noting that the view itself is not the highlight, it's the journey. Hiking to the viewpoint is a thoroughly enjoyable experience because once you get further away from the main area you experience fewer people and see all the beautiful steps and torii gates heading up the mountain. It really gives you a sense of how big the shrine is and lets you feel more in touch with the shrine's actual intentions. You'll also find vending machines and teahouses along the way, some of them serve delicious shaved ice which is perfect for a hot summer day.
If you're looking for really nice views of Kyoto, head to Kyoto Tower, or better yet, hike up Mt. Daimonji which is located on the Philosopher's Path. Mt. Daimonji is often said to have the best views of Kyoto, especially during the sunset.
Snow falling during winter at Fushimi Inari
7. What's it like visiting Fushimi Inari at night?
Fushimi Inari is open 24/7 and can be really amazing during the night. Lanterns decorate the Senbon Torii section and there are much less people during the daytime. Flood lamps illuminate the entire hike so you can even hike the mountain at midnight, just be careful of the wild bore that sometimes make an appearance.
Fushimi Inari also has a lantern festival perfect for a nighttime visit. The Yoimiya and Motomiya Festival is held for 2 days in the middle of July each year, the official date fluctuates slightly but is usually around the 20th of July. Check the Fushimi Inari website for the exact date. The Yoimiya and Motomiya Festival include taiko drums, food stalls, and beautiful lantern installations.
8. Why are there so many fox statues?
A thousand years ago, Fushimi Inari was mostly composed of rice fields. Over time the villagers noticed an interesting correlation, if they saw a lot of foxes while tending to their fields, they would have a good harvest. And conversely, the fewer foxes they saw the less plentiful the harvest would be. So they started to believe the foxes were the messengers of Inari and made statues to honor the fox in hopes of receiving a more plentiful harvest.
Another cool fact is that Nintendo's CEO and the creator of Mario Bros, Shigeru Miyamoto, created the character Fox McCloud and the Starfox games from his love for Fushimi Inari. The headquarters of Nintendo can be seen from the viewpoint on the Fushimi Inari hike.
Early morning snow at Fushimi Inari
8. What's the best season for visiting Fushimi Inari? Does it snow during winter?
Unlike most attractions in Kyoto, Fushimi Inari doesn't really express the cherry blossoms and autumn leaves that much, due to the type of trees that grow around the forest. This is good news though, it means the shrine can be impressive year-round regardless of the season. It also means you can take advantage of the off-peak season which occurs during summer and winter.
The summers will be hot and humid, but the lush green forest and warm summer rain creates a cinematic and wild atmosphere.
During winter, you'll have a small chance of snow, it only snows a few times per season in Kyoto, so if you have the chance, don't pass it up. Keep your eye on the forecast and make sure you arrive at sunrise as the snow will melt quickly. If it starts snowing in the evening, it's worthwhile heading there at night as you never know when the snow will stop, and the snow looks stunning with all the lanterns.
The 6 Main Features Of Fushimi Inari
1. The Main Shrine
The main entrance to Fushimi Inari on a snowy winter's night. The Romon Gate building in the background is nearly 500 years old.
The main shrine area of Fushimi Inari contains numerous buildings used for prayers and ceremonies and a collection of souvenir shops. An impressive feature of the main entrance is a giant torii sitting in front of the Romon Gate, which was donated in 1589 by the shogun leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi. There's another street leading to the main shrine entrance that contains a mini street food market, with vendors selling delicious classics such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and shaved ice, perfect for refueling after hiking around the shrine.
2. The Senbon Torii
The Senbon Torii
The Senbon Torii is the most densely packed section of torii gates in Fushimi Inari. It's only 2 minutes from the main shrine area and is illuminated by lanterns at night. This is the most famous section of the shrine, and it's been featured in various films including the award-winning Memoirs of a Geisha. There are over 1000 torii gates along this path, which takes about 2 minutes to walk through.
3. The Fushimi Inari Hike
The Fushimi Inari hike is a 230-meter climb up hundreds of steps to reach a nice viewpoint on Mt. Inari. It's a really beautiful hike that takes you through the forest and up the mountain while passing by numerous sub-shrines and teahouses. It's a relatively easy hike but can be quite the challenge in summer as temperatures can sometimes reach 35° Celcius. Thankfully there are vending machines along the way, and some of the teahouses offer shaved ice to help you cool down. The highlight is the journey itself but the viewpoint at the top is also quite nice and allows you to see southern Kyoto and the Nintendo headquarters.
The hike takes about 50 minutes to reach the top from the main entrance of the shrine.
4. The Trails Beyond The Viewpoint
One of the sub-shrines that can be found beyond the viewpoint
If you're the type of person that loves exploring and escaping the crowds, then hiking beyond the viewpoint is an awesome experience. If you hike beyond the viewpoint you can spend an additional hour meandering through the trails that eventually lead back to the viewpoint. Along the way you'll find interesting sub-shrines, old traditional teahouses, and stunning pathways surrounded by natural forest. It's a much more peaceful and immersive experience than the other popular sections, and gives you a more accurate impression of the cultural significance of the shrine.
5. The Fushimi Inari Bamboo Forest
Hiding in plain sight, this 'secret' bamboo forest is a beautiful and peaceful escape from the bustling crowds of the main shrine. It remains relatively secret because the sign which points toward the forest is in Japanese. How do you find it? Once you exit the Senbon Torii section you'll enter another shrine area, turn left and proceed to follow the main path. You'll quickly come across a detour on your right that heads up into the forest, a few minutes of hiking up this path will lead you into this beautiful bamboo forest. It will lose its magic if it gets too busy, so be humble when posting on social media ;)
Fushimi Inari Accommodation
Fushimi Inari is a mostly residential area and lacks some of the stereotypical hotels found in other parts of Kyoto. This is a good thing, it means you get to experience a traditional Kyoto guesthouse and avoid the impact of large hotel companies. After searching through the reviews left by guests, I've found these two places to be in a league of their own, and they're both within easy walking distance of Fushimi Inari.
1. Inari Ohan --- Japanese Townhouse
The Inari Ohan is a traditional Kyoto home that's been renovated into a luxurious guesthouse. Here you get to experience life from the perspective of the locals while living in an upmarket Japanese home. It's beautifully presented and only a 5-minute walk from both train stations and Fushimi Inari.
• Highlights:
─ 5 minute walk from Inari Station, Fushimi Inari Station, and the shrine.
─ Upmarket traditional Kyoto home, large enough for a family of 5
─ Complete privacy throughout the entire house
• Price Range: $250 - $350 per night
• Review Score: 9/10 ★ (140+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"Amazing! The apartment was beautiful, incorporating many features of a traditional Japanese house and very spacious for our family of 3. The bath tub overlooking the small garden was beautifully designed and a highlight of the property. The coffee shop next door was also fantastic! The property was close to Fushimi Inari Shrine and the train station which allowed for easy travel to the city and the Gion district."
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices on Booking.com
2. Kyo-Machiya --- Japanese Holiday Home
The Kyo-Machiya Stay offers traditional luxury living right on the doorstep of Fushimi Inari. This is the absolute best location out of all the accommodation around Fushimi Inari, only 1 minute's walk from the shrine. It's a large 3-bedroom holiday home with the perfect blend of modern and traditional design. The amenities are unmatched for this area and even includes a sauna. Perfect for families or large groups of friends.
• Highlights:
─ Prime location, only a 1 minute walk from Fushimi Inari
─ Large with 3 bedrooms and great amenities
─ Includes a sauna and balcony with mountain views
• Price Range: $800 - $1000 per night
• Review Score: 9/10 ★ (30+ reviews)
• Review Quote:
"Loved this place! Really beautiful and the staff were very kind. Location is perfect as it’s very close to the station, fushimi inari and has plenty of convenient stores and restaurants near by. It’s authentic and very spacious. The beds were comfortable. It was very clean and we appreciated the mid-week cleaning during our 4 day stay. The garden is very beautiful."
Rooms often sell out fast, you'll find the best prices on Booking.com
