This article is based on a visit made on Friday, 18 November 2016.
Edit 7 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.
Do you know what a
torii (鳥居, lit. 'bird home') gate is? It is a type of gate which stands at the entrances of Shinto shrines and some Buddhist temples in Japan. Their purpose is to mark the boundary between the "impure" outside world and the "pure" shrine grounds. They are so prevalent throughout Japan that they have become an iconic... icon of the country. And if you want to see them for yourself, there is no better place than Fushimi Inari Shrine (伏見稲荷大社,
Fushimi Inari-taisha) in southeastern Kyoto.
There are two train stations near the shrine, and even they get into the
torii spirit with their decor. This is where I came in from, Fushimi Inari station on the Keihan Main line. From here, it is about five minutes on foot to the shrine grounds.
Inari Station, on the JR Nara line, is even closer. Unlike the Keihan line, this line provides direct access to Kyoto Station. The trip from Kyoto Station is short and cheap, and if you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can ride for free! You can see for yourself under the "Access" section at the end of this article.
The shrine grounds start at the base of Mt. Inari (稲荷山,
Inari-san), with a complex of all the usual buildings to be found in a Shinto shrine, all beautifully painted in orange, white, and a little green. These are all well and nice, but I assume you're here to walk among the tunnels of
torii. If that's the case, then this map shows what you can expect. All the
torii are lined up along paths that wind up the mountain. You can hike all the way up to the top of the mountain in one to two hours. However, most people make do with going as far as the Yotsutsuji (四つ辻) intersection, which is only a half-hour up and offers wide views across the city. I thought it would be a lovely place to watch the sunset from, so that was my goal.
The journey uphill starts to the left of the main hall, through this one giant torii flanked by two stone foxes. Foxes are, in Shinto lore, the messengers of Inari (稲荷大神,
Inari-Ōkami), the god of fertility, farming, industry, and business. In fact, Fushimi Inari-taisha is the head of all Inari shrines in Japan. Inari shrines are the most numerous variety of Shinto shrines, followed by
Hachiman shrines.
Even the
ema plaques are fox-shaped, enticing some worshipers to add their own cute faces to them.
Early on up the road, the path splits into two lanes, under series of
torii that are so dense, they appear to form solid tunnels. The density of
torii is such that this section is colloquially known as the
Senbon torii (千本鳥居), or "one thousand
torii". Across all of the paths, meanwhile, there are closer to ten thousand of them in total!
As you can see in the last few pictures before this, the crowds were such that taking a picture of some torii without anybody else in the frame was impossible at some points. But, I managed to find some spots all to myself, here and there.
All those
torii were paid for by donations to the shrine from individuals and businesses, because capitalism. As you can see by this chart, there are various sizes and costs for planting a
torii in your name. The largest varieties of
torii on sale go for over 1.3 million yen (US$11,500). That's no small investment, but less than I would have expected, honestly.
There's more to these trails than just
torii. Along the way are several miniature shrines and monuments, some of which are adorned with miniature
torii to boot. Okay, so I can't get away from those things entirely, but at least now the orange is broken up with some mossy greys, and even a few rainbow-patterned decorations. With the thinner crowds and waning daylight, these corners took on a spooky yet serene atmosphere.
There are even a few natural features, such as this pond, which serve as natural landmarks for hikers heading up Mt. Inari. But they didn't help me that much, because unfortunately... this was as far as I got. Somehow, I kind of got lost and had to turn around before I could make it to my destination.
Instead of watching the sunset from the viewpoint halfway up the mountain, as I had intended, I wound up turning back and taking this shot from the base, in front of the main shrine complex. Not sure if I would have made it in time anyway; the light was fading faster than my camera let on, somehow.
On the bright side, I did meet this trio of pretty ladies from Australia and Canada, and struck up a conversation with them. Two of them were doing temporary jobs as English teachers, and the other was just a friend tagging along for a visit. Teaching English in Japanese schools is a popular employment choice for those who wish to stay in the country long-term. There's even a webcomic, called
"Let's Speak English", which is based the author's own experiences as an English teacher in Japan.
And as for me? I might like to do it some day, but it's a lot to think about. In the meantime, I guess I'll settle for another selfie sign-off. Next time on Sekai Ichi: the Gion district!
Hours: Open 24 hours. No regular closing days.
Costs: Free.
Address: 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchi-chō, Fushimi-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 〒612-0822
Access: The entrance to Fushimi Inari Shrine is 2 minutes on foot from Inari Station (JR Nara (D) line), and 5 minutes from Fushimi Inari Station (Keihan Main (KH) line).
From Kyoto Station, take the JR Nara line to Inari (D03, 5 minutes, ¥150, JR Pass OK), or take bus #105 or #南5 (both from stand C4) to Inari Taisha-mae (15 minutes, ¥230).
Directions: From Inari Station (JR), simply walk straight out of the exit. The entrance to the shrine is across the street.
From Fushimi Inari Station (Keihan), turn left out of the exit; there will be a sign at the exit to point the way. You will cross a bridge and eventually reach a stone torii gate; pass under it and bear right to reach the shrine.
