Fushimi-Inari Taisha, A spiritual journey through thousands of vermilion torii gates

68 Fukakusa Yabunouchi-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu

Red torii gate with yellow lights

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Introduction

Fushimi Inari Taisha is located at the foot of Mount Inari in the southern part of Kyoto, with a long history. Legend has it that the agricultural deity Inari enshrined here can bless business prosperity and abundant harvest, attracting many pilgrims to worship. Foxes are considered messengers of the gods, so there are many different-shaped fox stone statues and fox-faced prayer plaques, showing people's reverence for foxes. Fushimi Inari Taisha is not only worth visiting for its main building, but also known for its "Senbon Torii" or "Thousand Torii Gates". This path to the mountaintop is lined with hundreds of vermilion-colored torii gates, spanning about 4 kilometers in total. It takes 2-3 hours to walk round trip to the mountaintop. This route is one of the representative landscapes of Kyoto and has appeared in the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha", leaving a deep impression with the scenes featuring the backdrop of the thousand torii gates.