Fushimi Inari Taisha

伏見稲荷大社

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan, famous for its thousands of vermillion torii gates that form tunnels up Mount Inari. It is one of the most photographed locations in Japan and the single most popular tourist destination in Kyoto.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of the Inari network — over 30,000 sub-shrines across Japan dedicated to the Shinto deity of rice, agriculture, and business prosperity. What makes Fushimi Inari visually extraordinary is the thousands of vermillion torii gates donated by businesses and individuals over centuries, which form continuous tunnel-like corridors (senbon torii) winding up the forested slopes of Mount Inari behind the main shrine complex.

The shrine is open 24 hours and charges no admission, making it possible to visit at dawn or dusk when the torii tunnels are empty of crowds — a critical consideration for photographers, since the most-photographed sections near the base become extremely congested between 10:00 and 16:00. The full trail to the summit takes 2-3 hours and passes through increasingly quiet sections of the mountain, with viewpoints over Kyoto and small subsidiary shrines along the way. The iconic torii tunnel photographs can be captured in the first 15-20 minutes of the trail.

Practical info

Address: 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-0882
Hours: Open 24 hours (shrine office hours 8:30-16:30)
Admission: Free
Nearest station: Inari Station (JR Nara line), 1-minute walk; or Fushimi-Inari Station (Keihan line)

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