Fushimi Inari Taisha: What Happens If You Keep Walking Up to the Tip?

I nearly did not bother with the hike up Fushimi Inari Taisha.

I had seen Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine on Tik Tok many times before I got to Kyoto. Red gates with no crowds and stunning golden light or a moody vibe.

I arrived at about 8am thinking “well they always say go earlier, less crowds right?” maybe they meant earlier than 8am.

I jest, 8am was ok, it wasn’t crowded, there were several people mingling around, and the shops were getting ready to open.

We started our climb. And somewhere between the halfway viewpoint and the upper forest, the crowds stopped. There were small fox shrines appeared in alcoves along the way. I thought I had reached the summit, stopped, looked around, cheered with my partner (not in a loud manner don’t worry), and was about to head back down.

A gentleman standing next to me on the path looked over and said: oh no, you need a couple more steps. There is a small shrine just up there. That is the actual top.

We thanked him profusely as I wouldn’t have known this. Although there was a sign which we didn’t see.

A couple of steps up into a small shrine at 233 metres. And we did it! Made it to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine! Probably lost 1000 calories which will be replenished later at lunch ha!

We walked and stayed about three hours. It was one of the best things I did in Japan. Hard work but it was quite surreal.

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My experience at Fushimi Inari Torii

I arrived at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine at about 8am. Yes, this was one of my personal must do in Kyoto, I had to see it for myself. For me it’s quite iconic.

Fushimi Inari is actually open 24/7, and there are maps about, and when we arrived after taking a few pictures, we head on up the pathway through the gates.

It wasn’t so bad, but half way through, when we thought we were almost to the top, we were nowhere near the top! Made some friends along the way though, and helped some families take pictures and they took some of us as well. It was lovely!

Made it to the viewing point, and thats where the path splits. There is a shop and restaurant to relax in and have some food and drinks. Also a great spot to see the whole of Kyoto on a nice day!

Continued to walk up, and as you do the gates became smaller, and some spaces if you want to conribute and get a gate. There are shrines along the way, so got distracted and wander through them.

So yes, it’s worth it. Emphatically yes. But the version that’s worth it requires either getting there before most people wake up, or going further than most tourists bother. This guide tells you how to do both.

If you are staying nearby to Fushimi Inari Taisho Shrine, might be awesome to come by and maybe do a tour at night to have a look around, they are open all day.

What Is Fushimi Inari Taisha?

So apparently Fushimi Inari Taisha is a Shinto shrine, not a Buddhist temple. And I only just knew this that the easiest way to tell the difference between them is that the shrines have torii gates, and temples mostly do not. Also if a name ends in -ji, it is a temple. Taisha means head shrine. Nice fun fact for your next party trick.

The shrine was founded in 711 AD, 83 years before Kyoto became Japan’s capital. It is the head of around 40,000 Inari shrines across the country. Inari is the Shinto deity of rice, sake, foxes, and business prosperity. The stone fox statues throughout the mountain are Inari’s messengers. Some are ancient. Some have small red bibs left by Japanese visitors as offerings.

And the red Torii gates, every single torii was paid for by a person or a business as an offering to Inari, seeking blessing for prosperity. The front of each gate has the donor’s name and the date it was erected. The back says the Japanese characters for offering. Individual gates cost between 400,000 and 1,000,000 yen. There are approximately 10,000 of them.

I asked my guide what the inscriptions said, expecting something spiritually significant. She told me calmly that they were mostly local businesses and construction companies. Also there are few empty spaces when I was there, if you fancy paying for one?

Is Fushimi Inari Taisha Worth Visiting? What to Expect Before You Go

For me, it was so worth it, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, it was different, and also you get a great workout from it. If you are spending 4 to 5 days in Kyoto, then definitely use one of your days to visit here.

Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine is free and it is open 24 hours. There have been sightings of wild boars at night at the shrine too.

What you have to prepare for: the lower section, the famous Senbon Torii tunnel, is genuinely very crowded between 9am and 4pm. If you can come early for the light or if you like to check it out at night, it’s probably going to be less busy.

Yes, I did say the top is quieter but the bottom half, can get conjested. It was like that on our way down, but everyone was chill about it so it was at a good pace.

My take:  My guide for the day at Fushimi Inari made an enormous difference. I would have walked through without understanding anything. Having someone explain the fox symbolism, point out the really old gates versus the newer ones, and take me down the side paths I wouldn’t have found alone, genuinely worth the money. More on tours below.

What actually happens if you keep walking up Fushimi Inari?

The main shrine buildings

Before the famous gate tunnel, you pass through the main shrine complex. Most people barrel through heading for the gates. Do not do that. The main hall is dedicated to Inari and has the smell of a place in continuous use for over 1,300 years: incense, old wood, something I cannot name. Spend a few minutes here before the crowds arrive.

The Senbon Torii

The tunnel of gates behind the main shrine is roughly 500 metres with over a thousand torii so close together they form an almost solid orange corridor. The path splits into two parallel tunnels at one point. It does not matter which you take. They reconnect.

It is exactly as impressive as the photographs. And between 9am and 4pm you will be experiencing it shoulder to shoulder with a lot of other people. This is fine. But do not turn around here, because you have not seen the part that makes the journey worth it.

The Yotsutsuji intersection

About 30 to 45 minutes uphill from the main entrance, the trail reaches Yotsutsuji. The path splits here and suddenly there is a gap in the trees with southern Kyoto spread below you. On a clear day you can see the Nintendo headquarters. The crowds thin significantly here. A lot of people turn back at Yotsutsuji, which means the section above it is immediately quieter.

If you are genuinely short on time or energy, turning back here is reasonable. You have the view. But if you have another hour, keep going.

The summit loop

Above Yotsutsuji the gates thin out but get more interesting: older, weathered, some cracked and tilting, a few with moss working its way across the vermilion paint. The forest closes in. The sound from the city below disappears.

You pass Okusha sub-shrine, which feels old in a way the lower section does not. Small waterfalls. More fox shrines in alcoves with offerings left by Japanese visitors: sake bottles, small figurines, weathered envelopes. Just after the first torii tunnel above Okusha, branching right, there is a small path to a hidden bamboo grove. Five to ten minutes. Worth it.

I thought I had reached the summit. I stopped, looked around, and was about to head back.

The gentleman on the path told me to go a couple more steps. A small shrine just above. That is the actual top.

Two more minutes through a final cluster of older torii. A small quiet shrine at 233 metres. Almost no one there. I sat for a while.

Hike facts Total trail: 4km loop from the main entrance. Elevation gain: 233 metres. Senbon Torii only: about 1 hour. To Yotsutsuji and back: 1.5 to 2 hours. Full summit loop: 2.5 to 3 hours. Teahouses and vending machines appear at intervals on the route. Difficulty: moderate. Steep sections, mostly stone steps and compacted earth.

How to get to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine?

To get here you can take the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station to Inari Station which is about five minutes and costs around150 yen. The station exit is directly across the road from the shrine’s main gate. That is the complete set of directions.

From Osaka it is about fifteen minutes on the same line. The shrine is actually closer to Osaka than it is to the Gion district of Kyoto, which is worth knowing if you are deciding where to base yourself.

You can also take the Keihan Line to Fushimi-Inari Station, a seven-minute walk from the shrine. Useful if you are coming from the Kiyomizudera area of eastern Kyoto.

Getting there JR Nara Line: Kyoto Station to Inari Station, 5 minutes, 150 yen. Covered by JR Pass. Station exit is directly opposite the shrine gate. From Osaka: approximately 15 minutes on the JR Nara Line. Keihan Line: to Fushimi-Inari Station, 7-minute walk to shrine. JR Pass: covers this line and the Shinkansen between cities.

Practical Information about Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi Inari Taisha Address:  68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. JR Inari Station exit is directly across the road.

Entry to Fushimi Inari:  Completely free. Open 24 hours, 365 days a year.

Tours worth booking Early morning Fushimi Inari tour (7am): beats the crowds, takes you onto side paths most visitors miss, consistently well-reviewed. Kyoto Early Bird English Tour: Fushimi-Inari and Arashiyama or Kyoto/Osaka: Nara, Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari Taisha Day Tour

What you can do with Fushimi Inari Taisha?

Fushimi Inari is in the south of Kyoto, near Tofukuji Temple. If you are visiting in November, doing Fushimi Inari early morning and then Tofukuji for the autumn foliage makes a very good southern Kyoto morning.

It is not naturally combined with Arashiyama or Gion, which are on opposite sides of the city. Give Fushimi Inari its own half-day. It earns it.

Questions I wish someone had answered before I went to Fushimi Inari

I nearly did not bother but I’m glad I did. I stayed three hours and it was one of the best things I did in Japan. Go early. Keep walking. And when you think you are at the top, look for the small path just above you.

How was your experience at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto?

Courtney xx

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