Vanessa Visits

Of all the incredible places I’ve been lucky enough to visit in Japan, Fushimi Inari remains one of my favorite memories. Like many travelers, I had seen photos of the thousands of bright red torii gates and heard how beautiful, vast, and majestic it is, but experiencing it in person was something else entirely. I will remember it for the rest of my life. As such, it just wouldn’t feel right to have a travel blog without dedicating a page to Fushimi Inari!

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of the Shinto god, Inari. It’s located in southern Kyoto, Japan, and it is famous for its thousands upon thousands of torii gates that line the many trails that lead to the top of Mount Inari. It is a popular tourist destination, so the lower paths get very crowded in the afternoon. Many people don’t hike all the way to the top- an endeavor that can take around 3 hours.

What made our visit to the shrine especially memorable was the somewhat unusual and lesser-known-to-tourists way that we entered. Before our trip, my husband Tim found an alternate trail online that leads into the shrine from the side instead of through the main entrance. We took a taxi to the beginning of the trail and entered into the shrine that way! Doing this allowed us to reach a higher point on the mountain than many people are willing or able to walk to, and we were completely alone on that first trail! It was our third full day in Japan, and the experience of wandering through the quiet and peaceful forest felt like exploring a hidden gem. We got to really take our time and we ended up with some beautiful pictures of just the two of us under some of the bright red torii gates.

When we got to the main trail, we started working our way down. And the further we walked, the more I came to realize that Fushimi Inari is so much more than the iconic tunnel of gates spread across the mountainside that it is so well known for. There are also smaller shrines, fox statues, koi fish ponds, cats, stone lanterns, and beautiful views of Kyoto. Everywhere I looked, there was something new to admire. Some of my favorite moments were the little surprises along the way. A bright red bridge, tiny torii gates, a friendly black and white cat we saw wandering through one of the shrine paths, and a very nice lady who was selling good luck charms. I bought one, and she blessed it with a flame.

If I have one piece of advice for anyone visiting Fushimi Inari, it’s this: don’t just walk through the first section, take a few photos, and leave. Keep exploring. Whether you start at the main entrance and hike up the mountain, or utilize some of the lesser known walking trails to access the shrine like we did, it’s worth it to see as much of the shrine as you are able. Don’t push yourself too hard, or make yourself so tired that you are unable to enjoy yourself, but try to see everything that you can within your ability. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like it. The atmosphere, all the big and small details, the sheer amount of culture and history to soak in make Fushimi Inari truly beautiful. It feels so magical.

Fushimi Inari is one of the first places I think about when I start daydreaming about Japan (which is quite often!). I can’t wait to go back one day. It has a piece of my heart forever.