"Senbon Torii" on Mt. Inari takes your breath away! What is the charms and features of "Fushimi-Inari Shrine" one of the most famous sightseeing place in Kyoto?

In the Fushimi area of Kyoto city, located in south from heart of Kyoto, there is the one of the most popular sightseeing place for Japanese and foreign tourists. That is Fushimi-Inari shrine.

There are over 30,000 shrines in Japan that are called the "Inari" shrine, but the Fushimi-Inari shrine in Kyoto is the head shrine of the group, and it has been worshiped as a god of prosperity and good harvests.

Being the head shrine of the Inari shrine, the scale of Fushimi-Inari shrine is top class in Japan. In the precinct, besides the "Honden(main hall)" it has Mt. Inari where famous "Senbon Torii is located too.
For this reason, many of the visitors who come to the shrine often tour the mountain and the Torii together.

"Mountain touring" has become increasingly popular among foreign tourists, and has been featured on TripAdvisor and Instagram. However, the huge scale of the shrine cannot accurately be described unless you visit this location.

So, in this article we would like to focus on "What is the charms and features of popular tourist destination Fushimi-Inari?"
Let's see it!

Table of Contents for this Article

１，Basic Information about Fushimi-Inari Shrine
２，Useful Information about Fushimi-Inari Shrine
３，The charms and features of Fushimi-Inari Shrine
４，Photo Gallery of the Famous Senbon Torii
５， Fushimi-Inari Shrine During New Years
６，Access Information to Fushimi-Inari Shrine

１，Basic Information about Fushimi-Inari Shrine

Name: FUSHIMI INARI TAISHA
Name in English: Fushimi-Inari Shrine
Prefecture: Kyoto prefecture
Area: Kyoto city (Fushimi area)
Address: 68 Yabunouchi-cho, Fukakusa, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto city,Kyoto
Telephone Number: 075-641-7331
Admission Hours: open 24 hours
Prayer reception desk: 8：30～16：00
※Changes in hours during the New Years period
Fees: Free ※Praying is charged
Parking: Free parking available
Official Website: http://inari.jp/

２，Useful Information about Fushimi-Inari Shrine

Less than 10 minute walk from the station: ◯
Accompanied by: Friends/ Family/ Date/ Alone
Staff who can speak foreign languages: Unknown
Free Wi-Fi: Unknown
Estimated visiting time: 2 hours (Including Mt. Inari)

Other Useful Information:

If you are planning to hike up Inari mountain after visiting the shrine, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes.

３，The charms and features of the Fushimi-Inari Shrine

There is no other shrine in Japan that compares to Fushimi-Inari shrine.
So, what makes it so special?

Secret 1：The Large Scale Torii that welcomes you into the Shrine

When you walk up to the entrance of the Fushimi-Inari Shrine, there is a Torii gate that leads to main hall of the shrine and Mt.Inari.
The scale of the Torii gate is so big, as it stands as a representation of the importance of the shrine itself.

Many visitors often form a crowd line from this Torii gate to the main hall of the shrine during the New Years, that is one of the specialty of Fushimi-Inari shrine.

Secret 2：The Main hall of the Shrine has been designated as a Important cultural property

Being the head shrine of the all Inari shrines in Japan, the Fushimi-Inari shrine has been considered the most prestigious. It has been designated as a important cultural property and it is a majestic and magnificent building but any guests can visit and worship very closely.

Secret 3：This is awesome! Thousands of Red Rods that Make Up the Senbon Torii

The Senbon Torii is considered a major destination for tourists who visit Fushimi-Inari shrine. There are several pictures of the Torii on the internet that have been posted by people who have seen the site before. However, there is a uniqueness and grandness of scale of the Torii that not even the best pictures could tell to those who have not yet seen the Torii gate for themselves.

There are thousands of Torii on the road approaching to the shrine, which was built by gifts and donations from individuals and companies who have payed their respects to the shrine.



It takes about an hour and a half to climb up and return from the half way point of Inari mountain, and about 2 hours to make a round trip up to the top. There are several resting areas where you can enjoy signature dishes that represent Inari mountain. We highly recommend stopping by the shops for items such as "Inari sushi", and "Pan fried udon".

４，Photo Gallery of the Famous Senbon Torii

Here are some pictures of the Senbon Torii that is on the approach to Mt. Inari. You can also experience a beautiful view of the city once you reach the top of the mountain. Please check them out.









The pictures below are resting spot that allows you to get a great view of the city from a high altitude. Most people walk up to this point and return back. It takes about an hour to reach this resting spot.

５，The Fushimi-Iinari Shrine During New Years

The Fushimi-Inari shrine is a famous New Years Hatsumode(first visit to shrine) spot. From January 1st to January 3rd, many people from all over Japan come and pay respects to the shrine and pray for a good year.

A lot of people come to Fushimi-Inari for "First visit to the shrine"

Here are some actual pictures of the shrine during New Years. There is a constant line of people starting from the entrance of the shrine leading all the way to the main building.


Around the entrance of the shrine

Afterwords, people often get the fortune telling paper or visit the Inari mountain. In addition, there are several other ways to enjoy the shrine during Hatsumode, there are many delicious foods stands in the shrine and it is fun to grab a warm bite to eat in cold winter weather.




Grilled ayu(sweetfish)

The food stands offer dishes such as the famous Inari shushi, oden, udon, grilled ayu, fried chicken, baby castella (cakes), hot dogs on a stick, okonomiyaki (cabbage pancakes), takoyaki, and many other traditional Japanese festival foods.

The atmosphere of the Fushimi-Inari shrine during New Years is very different from that of usual afternoon, so we definitely recommend visiting during the beginning of the year if you want to see some more excitement!

６，Access Information to Fushimi-Inari Shrine

Address: 68 Yabunouchi-cho, Fukakusa, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto city, Kyoto
Telephone Number: 075-641-7331
Transportation:
(by Train):
JR Nara Line "Inari" station
5 minute walk from Keihan train "Fushimi-Inari" station
(Bus):
7 minute walk from the Kyoto municipal bus "Fushimi-Inari Shrine" stop