Fushimi Inari Taisha

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of the thousands of Inari shrines found across Japan. According to the shrine, the deity Inari Okami was enshrined here in 711, during the Nara period, and the shrine marked its 1,300th anniversary in 2011. Inari is associated with rice, harvests and prosperity, which is why businesses have long donated torii gates here in the hope of success. The donor's name and the date are painted on the back of each gate.

The first part of a visit covers the main shrine buildings at the foot of the mountain. The main hall, built in 1499, is an Important Cultural Property and houses five enshrined deities. Behind it begins the Senbon Torii, the famous double row of closely set vermilion gates, which leads on to the Okusha Hohaisho, an inner prayer hall. Look out for the stone foxes throughout the precinct: they are regarded as Inari's messengers, and many hold a key to the rice granary in their mouths.

The whole of Mount Inari, 233 metres high, is treated as part of the shrine. Trails of roughly four kilometres loop past smaller shrines, stone altars and tunnels of gates to the summit, and the full circuit takes around two hours on foot. Most visitors only walk the first section, so the paths become much quieter once you climb past the Yotsutsuji intersection, which also offers a view over the south of the city.

The shrine grounds are free and remain open around the clock, which makes Fushimi Inari one of the few major sights in Kyoto that you can visit very early or after dark. Early morning is the best time for photographs without crowds; by mid-morning the lower gates are very busy. Wear comfortable shoes, as the upper trails are made up of many stone steps, and take water in summer. The lower precinct is reasonably flat, but the mountain paths are not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Getting there is easy. JR Inari Station on the Nara Line is directly opposite the main gate and only a few minutes by train from Kyoto Station, while Fushimi-Inari Station on the Keihan Main Line is a short walk away. The approach street is lined with stalls and small restaurants, where the local speciality is inari sushi, rice wrapped in sweet fried tofu. The shrine pairs well with Tofuku-ji, a Zen temple one stop north, on a half-day visit to southern Kyoto.