Japan is famous for its various traditional shrines and temples. The most beautiful shrine is definitely to be found in Kyoto: the Fushimi Inari Shrine, dedicated to Inari Okami, the Shinto god of rice. We had the opportunity to visit this magnificent shrine a couple of times, during the day and in the evening while attending the famous Motomiya festival. A shrine not to miss when you visit Japan!
The Fushimi Inari Shrine
This shrine was on my top ‘to do’s’ when visiting in Japan. Not only is it dorning almost every Japanese travel guide, it’s a great example of splendid cultural heritage and, on top, it also gives you the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful hike to the summit, one of the best hikes we did in Japan.
This important Shinto shrine is dedicated tot to Inari Okami, the Shinto god of rice. It’s probably one of the most famous in Japan for its 10.000 vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings leading into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari.
The paths and grounds are decorated by hundreds of fox statues holding keys. Foxes were considerd Inari’s messengers and with the key, you get access to the rice shed.
Our visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine
We visited the temple several times, since our lodgings – Rinn Fushiminiiari, a Japanese style house – were only a few minutes away.
The first time we explored the shrine in full daylight. We arrived just after noon and there seem relatively few tourists at the complex. We had the whole afternoon to enjoy this splendid temple and decide to hike to the summit to the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds.
We entered the shrine through the attractive entrance buidlings and the Romon Gate. Behind stands the shrine’s main hall where all visitors are encouraged to pay respect to the resident deity by making a small offering. You find miniature wooden Tori’s or stylistic miniature foxes on which a message can be written.
At the very back of the shrine’s main grounds is the entrance to the famous torii gate-covered hiking trail: 10.000 red Tori’s connect the 5 shrines. A tori is a traditional Japanese ‘gate’, reflecting the transition from the ‘normal’ to the ‘holy’ world in tradtional Japan.
The trail starts with two dense, parallel rows of gates called Senbon Torii (“thousands of torii gates”). The torii gates along the entire trail are donations by individuals and companies and you will find the donator’s name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate. The donation amount starts around 400,000 yen for a smaller gate and increases to over one million yen for a large gate.
The beginning of the trail is packed with tourists. You really have to ‘block’ the way to be able to take some pictures.
The trail leads higher up, through thousands of vermillion Tori gates. The higher up you walk, fewer tourists you come across. It’s a splendid walk. Along the path are numerous smakker shrines and miniature torii gates – donated by visitors with smaller budgets – and several foxes. There are small rest places and kiosks, where you can buy small torri gates or other memorabilia from the shrine. They also sell water, which can be good in the extremely hot temperature.
We follow the trail through the wooded forest, up to the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds.
About halfway up the mountain, we reach the Yotsutsuji intersection offering pleasant views over Kyoto. We take a rest, since even at this hight, it is very hot.
From there on, we follow the circular trail leading to the summit, existing out of more torii gates and foxes while the gate density decreases further, to decend again to the main entrance buildings.
We decide to return to the temple in the evening.
As of sunset, the shrine and entrance buildings are gloriously illuminated.
Motomiya-festival
In the evening of July 22nd 2023, the illuminations were even more stunning. This evening was the start of the famous Motomiya Festival, a lively, lantern-based celebration of two days that the Yomiya-sai and Motomiya-sai held in mid-summe
Inari Shrine parishioners from all over the country gathered at Fushimini Inari to worship. Thousands of stone and wood lanterns scattered all over Mt. Inari were lit and laypeople who donate lanterns will also hang them on the paths throughout the shrine.
Traditional artists collaborate and donate beautifully painted square paper lanterns that are lit around the circumference of the main shrine area at the base of the mountain.
On top, there are various performances to entertain those who come to pray, including taiko drum concerts and dance exhibitions. A traditional Motomiya-odori dance is also held in the evenings.
When we arrived, the shrine and streets around are full of crouds. The lanterns shined magnificent, the atmosphere was vibrant. At the base of the shrine, on the main grounds, were taiko drum concerts and dance exhibitions, such as a traditional Motomiya-odori dance.
It’s was magnificent view and atmosphere.
When to visit the Shrine
I’m not sure there is a moment there are fewer tourists at the temple. Even if there don’t seem to be a lot of people at the entrance buildings, they most definitely are at then entrance of the torii gates, where you even have to ‘block’ the way to take some pictures.
If you have the time, I recommend to explore this temple during the day and in the evening.
If you want to hike up to the summit, I recommend you visit the shrine in the morning or around noon. The hike takes about 3 hours.The hike is pretty easy, with a lot of stairs. Make sure to take some water with you, in particular in summer, when, even at the summit, it is hot and humid.
The hike is the ideal way to fully explore this beautiful complex, from the start at the entrance buildings through the wooded forest with its thousands of vermillion torii gates up to the summit, where the gates are less dense.
The higher you walk, the fewer tourists. Also, in late afternoon, the sun is already setting and casts a special glow on the shrines near the summit. Higher up the mountain, there are ample opportunities to take pictures of the magnificent torii gates, the foxes and the great surroundings, without the crowds. We sometimes even saw no tourists!
Another good moment to enjoy the splendour of this shrine is in the evening. As of sunset, the shrine and entrance buildings are gloriously illuminated. As of the entrance of the torri gates, it gets pretty dark again, so no time to go up to the summit I would say.
If you would be able to attend a festival, that would be the cherry on the cake. The famous Motomiya Festival is definitely worth the visit, should you happen to be in Kyoto mid summer. The shrine and it surroundings will be overcrowded, but you get a real taste of the Japanse atmosphere.
Where to stay
If you are in for a special stay in a traditional Japanses style Kyoto house – Kyo- Machiya – I can recommend Rinn Fushimini Inari. This luxury town house is located close to Fushimi Inari station on the Keihan Electric Railway.
It is a traditional Kyoto townhouse with an elegant appearance based on the ‘Cool Kyoto’ concept. The combination of rich, impactful Japanese-style furniture inspired by the thousand torii gates and contrast of shadows, which are the foremost attractions of Fushimi Inari, and use of vivid vermilion fabric art, adds depth to the luxurious atmosphere of the guest rooms.
Renting a house in Japan is great. Read our experiences with several houses here.
The town house is up to 7 guests. It is equipped with 2 bedrooms (one Western style with 2 double beds, the other one with 3 futon beds), a flat-screen TV and a fully equipped kitchen that provides guests with a microwave, a fridge, a washing machine and kitchenware. The holiday home offers bed linen, towels and laundry service. There is also free Wifi in the house.
There are a lot of eateries in the neighbourhood.
You can book this luxury town house via booking or via this website.
There are more luxury Japanese style houses for rent in the Kyoto area. It’s a great way to be immersed in traditional Japanese culture.
How to get there
The Inari shrine is easily reachable from Kyoto.
- From Kyoto Station ⇒ JR Line local train ⇒ Inari Station
- By Keihan Line ⇒ Fushimi Inari Station ⇒ 10 minutes walking
- By City Bus ⇒ Bus Route Number 5 (South) ⇒ Fushimi Inari Taisha Bus Stop
Up for more Japanese adventures? Then read my ‘From Magome to Tsumago‘ blogpost on a splendid hike between two traditional Japanese postal villages.