Fushimi Inari Taisha
伏見稲荷大社
Shrine
Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
Fushimi Inari Taisha, dating from 711 AD, is one of Japan’s most iconic shrines, famous for its thousands of bright red torii gates that form long tunnels up Mount Inari. Dedicated to Inari, the deity of prosperity and good harvests, the shrine is filled with fox statues (Inari’s messengers), holding keys, scrolls, or rice bundles.
The main buildings at the base are impressive, but the real charm is in following the mountain trails, where you pass small altars, mossy stone lanterns, and stretches of forest between the torii gates.
