Fushimi-Inari Shrine

On my blog I run a series of entries on my favourite places in Japan. I thought I'd post some of them here as well, now that there's an appropriate category. This was the first entry, and the Fushimi-Inari Shrine is easily a must-see recommendation from me for anyone visiting Kyoto.

The shrine is located in the South Kyoto ward of Fushimi-ku and is, apparently, often overlooked by tourists. I must say that it would be a huge mistake to visit Kyoto and not see this part of the city. The only possible downside is that it’s so easy to spend a lot of time there, so if you’re short on time you’ll want to keep an eye on the clock, but really… if that’s the only downside, you know this place is worth visiting. You can get to Fushimi Inari via the JR Nara Line (Inari Station) or the Keihan Line (Fushimi-Inari Station). The shrine is just a few minutes walk from either of these stations, so it’s incredibly easy to get to, and best of all there is no admission fee at all!

My friends and I arrived at the shrine around mid-afternoon on a rainy March day – incidentally, the only day on our trip where it rained to an uncomfortable extent – and thankfully the downpour had begun to ease. At the base of Mount Inari is the main shrine which, while pleasing, is hardly the true attraction. Stretching up the side of the mountain is row after row of red torii (traditional Japanese gates), leading multiple paths up the mountain and through its beautiful forest. The torii are mostly placed so close together that it almost feels like a sort of tunnel. Scattered throughout the mountain are inari (fox) statues and many small shrines, as well as some restaurants which all appeared to be closed on the day of our visit. There are vending machines at (somewhat surprisingly) regular intervals if you need to grab a drink, but be aware that as you ascend Mt Inari, the prices climb with you. I found that a little amusing.

As we climbed the mountain, there was a noticeable development of mist which added to the ethereal energy of the torii and forest. Shortly after passing a small crystalline lake we arrived a location which emerges from the forest to provide a view of Kyoto… or at least, it would have were it not so cloudy at the moment we arrived there! The view we did have was nice, but visibility was a bit low. From there we continued to climb until – if I recall correctly – there were no more stairs, though it wasn’t much further from the view point.

Now, what happened next turned out well for us but should also serve as a cautionary tale: there are many branching paths at the Fushimi Inari Shrine, and it is tempting to follow as many of them as you can. Be warned though: they do not all seem to lead back to the main shrine at the base of the mountain, so be prepared to lose a lot of time if you start exploring. My friends and I tried to descend using a different path to the one we went up on, only to decide to backtrack and use our original route after a while when it seemed clear we were not headed where we wanted to go. Backtracking was easy, but it’s time and effort that you may or may not want to give.

It was all made worthwhile though when we returned to the “look out” location I mentioned earlier. The sky had cleared, the sun was shining onto the city through the clouds: it was beautiful. This view alone seemed worth the time to visit Fushimi Inari, but the entire mountain is simply stunning. The forest, the hundreds of torii, the crisp air and serene atmosphere make this one of my fondest memories of Japan. I can’t recommend it highly enough; I’d love to go there again and if you’re visiting Kyoto I think you’d be a fool to pass Fushimi Inari up.