Fushimi Inari Shrine probably has to be the most famous and most photographed spot in all of Kyoto, if not Japan. I haven’t been back to Kyoto in probably 8 years and honestly, it wasn’t even on my radar until some friends of mine invited me to Japan. Even then, I was planning on just traveling around smaller cities, but then I noticed that my timing lined up too perfectly with the momiji (red maple leaves) viewing season. I mean, this is the most famous season that everyone flocks to Japan to come see. So, just like that, I decided to split from my friends for a couple days to photograph the infamous autumn season in Kyoto.

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Basic Things You Should Know about Fushimi Inari Shrine

• Fushimi Inari Shrine is dedicated to the Shinto god of rice, Inari
• The shrine’s main hall is located at the entrance and the famous vermilion torii gates start at the back of the shrine
• The main Fushimi Inari hiking trail is a 4 km loop trail but you can end it whenever you want and hike back the way you came if you chose

 

Fushimi Inari Shrine Hours of Operation 

The shrine and the torii gates are open 24 hours and 7 days a week

 

Fushimi Inari Shrine Entrance Fee

The shrine, torii gates, and the hike are completely free

 

Fushimi Inari Map

Photo Credit: https://ilovekyoto.com/places-to-see/fushimi-inari-taisha-shrine/

 

What Time Should You Get to Fushimi Inari Shrine?

As you’ve probably heard from everyone, getting there early in the morning is probably your best option if you want to beat the crowds. I got there around 7:30 am and there were already quite a lot of people there taking pictures. Knowing what I know now, I would have immediately raced up to the summit since everyone seems to be taking pictures near the bottom. That way I would have had more of a chance to take pictures without the crowds.

If you really don’t care about taking pictures, then the late afternoon and nighttime are also good bets. Not a lot of people know this but the shrine and the torii gates are open 24-7. With that being said, the torii gates probably won’t look as pretty at night, but if you’re just going to hike, then you probably wouldn’t care that much anyways.

 

How To Get to Fushimi Inari Shrine by Train

If you are starting from Kyoto Station, you want to take the JR Nara Line (bound for Nara) and take it to two stops to Inari Station. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can use it for the JR Nara Line journey to Inari Station. For people not starting at Kyoto station, Google Maps amazing out there. So, just input “Inari Station” and it’ll plan out the best way for you. 

 

 

How Long Should You Spend There?

It really depends on what you want to do there. If you want to just take pictures of the torii gates, you can be in and out of there in an hour. If you want to do the whole hike, I would recommend 2-3 hours. I probably easily spent at least 3 hours there with the amount of pictures I took. 

 

The Fushimi Inari Hike Up Mount Inari

Fushimi Inari Torii Gates

The reason why everyone comes here is mostly due to these amazing vermillion torii gates that lines a whole hiking trail. If I’m going to be honest, when I went, I didn’t know there was even a trail! I thought there were just a bunch of torii gates that you could walk casually through. I didn’t even know there was a summit point until I got there! Hopefully, if you’re reading this now, you can be more prepared than I was. 

What Should You Wear?

I went during autumn so it was pretty cold. I wore jeans, a turtleneck, and a long puffer coat which I never took it off. I might have unzipped it once or twice during the hike up, but that was it. There are A LOT of steps so I would wear the most comfortable shoes you have if you’re going to do the whole hike. I wore my leather hightops the whole way and they were fine for the most part, but my back and feet were definitely hurting afterwards.

If you are going to just go take pictures, there are a bunch of torii gates at the beginning of the trail. You don’t have to do the whole Fushimi Inari hike. You can probably wear nicer shoes and just take your pictures at the entrance of the torii gates or you can just bring your shoes and change them out there. 

How Hard is the Fushimi Inari Hike?

I did the whole hike and I didn’t think it was that hard. Granted, I did stop a lot to take pictures so I didn’t notice the elevation gain that much. I’d say if you’re in relatively good health and don’t have knee issues, you should be fine. There are also a lot of places for you to stop and take a break. 

Is it Worth Going Up Fushimi Inari Summit?

This is totally dependent on you. I will say that the summit wasn’t as grand as I thought it would be. You’re not going to get a view of the City. I’m glad that I did the whole hike, but if you’re short on time, I think going up midway to the Yotsutsuji Intersection will give you enough torii gates and a great view of Kyoto.

Should I Start Clockwise or Counter Clockwise?

 

There are different ways to get to the top, but I think for the most part, everyone starts where the two dense rows of torii gates known as Senbon Torii (Thousand Torii) are. Then you start the hike up to a landing where you can see all of Kyoto called Yotsutsuji intersection. From there you can decide if you want to go clockwise or counter clockwise. I started clockwise not really knowing that I was starting clockwise. I went towards where everyone was walking and that’s how I just ended up choosing. I would say starting the other way will probably have a lot less people and you’ll get to experience more of the forest and tranquility first before all the crowds come in. 

Fushimi Inari Foxes

During your hike, you might notice a bunch of fox statues. These foxes are very important to the shrine since they are thought to be messengers of the rice god Inari. They aren’t usually on the trail where all the torii gates are, but you’ll definitely find them at all the shrines.

 

Fushimi Inari Photography

Everyone thinks that the best photo spot is at the two dense, parallel rows of gates called Senbon Torii near the beginning of the hiking trail. I personally think some of the best torii gates are near the summit, but in all seriousness, anywhere along the trail will be photogenic. You’ll have a harder time NOT taking pictures than you will trying to find something to take pictures of. 

 

Camera Gear

Camera: Sony A7SIII 

Lens: Sony GMII 24-70mm

Tripod: K&F Concept 60

 

Fushimi Inari Photography Area #1: 

This picture was taken about 10 minutes going down from the summit if you were going clockwise. This was probably my favorite picture that I took, which was surprising because it was one of the last photos I took and I was so tired. I had to wait patiently for people to pass by so I could set up my camera in the middle of the staircase and on a TRIPOD no less. Then I had to set my phone to remote shoot. Lastly, then had to run up the stairs to get the shot. 

It took forever to get the picture, but in the end, I’m super happy with the result! I just love the way that the sun illuminated all of the torii gates. I can only imagine if I started the hike counter clockwise, I would have hike up looking at these amazing illuminated torii gates instead of me walking down them.

 

Fushimi Inari Photography Area #2: 

This was my second favorite area to shoot. This location is roughly about 10 minutes before the summit. I like this photo spot mostly because there was a lot of chances to play with light and shadows with the torii gates in the background. I also set up my tripod here but there was a little bit more space to work with and the camera was on a open landing vs. the middle of the stairs in the first picture.

 

Fushimi Inari Photography Everywhere Else

Even though I chose the above two places as my favorite places to take pictures, there were a MILLION other places that I loved just as much. Below are more photos for inspiration for your eyes!

 

Conclusion

One might think that Fushimi Inari Shrine is overrated since so many people go there, but to be honest, it really deserves the attention unlike Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in my opinion (more on another blog post later). I know it’s been years since I’ve been back, but I would absolutely visit Fushimi Inari Shrine again but maybe during the late afternoon or evening just so I can experience something different. Either way, if it’s your first time or you hundredth time, there’s always something new to see there!