[Fushimi Inari Taisha Visitor Guide] One of Kyoto’s Top Power Spots, Famous for Its Endless Torii Gates

Fushimi Inari Taisha was founded in 711, when Hata no Irogu, a descendant of the Hata clan, enshrined the Inari Okami on Mt. Inari.
The Hata clan was a family that came from the Korean Peninsula and developed this area with advanced technology and economic power.
It is said that the place name “Inari” came from “ine ga naru,” meaning rice ripens, one of the blessings associated with Fushimi Inari Taisha.
Many buildings were lost in warfare in 1467, but by 1499 all of the destroyed structures had been rebuilt.

The Senbon Torii features Approx. 800 shrine gates lined up like a tunnel.
The vivid vermilion gates and the sacred trees around them create a solemn atmosphere and a breathtaking view.
There is a custom in which worshippers donate torii gates in gratitude when their wishes come true, since the word “torii” sounds similar to “tooru,” meaning to pass through or come true, and this is how the number grew to what it is today.
Since the Edo period, when these donations began, torii gates have continued to be dedicated even now.

The Romon Gate was built in 1589 by the Sengoku warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
A romon generally refers to a two-story gate with no roof over the first floor section.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi prayed at the Inari Shrine, now Fushimi Inari Taisha, for the recovery of his mother, Omandokoro, from illness.
Later, after she recovered, the Romon Gate was built in gratitude and still serves today as the main gate welcoming worshippers to Fushimi Inari Taisha.
It is the oldest and largest romon gate in Kyoto and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

The Main Hall is the head shrine of Inari shrines enshrined throughout Japan.
The deities worshipped here are collectively called the Inari Okami and include five deities beginning with Ukanomitama-no-Okami.
It is known for the Inari-zukuri architectural style, which features an exceptionally long front roof, as well as the lavish carvings under the eaves, and it is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
The current building was rebuilt in 1499 after the previous one was destroyed in warfare in 1468.

Ichinomine (Upper Shrine Sacred Site) stands at the summit of Mt. Inari at an elevation of 233m.
Omiyanome-no-Okami is enshrined here, and it is said to grant blessings such as business prosperity, family safety, healing from illness, and protection from evil.
Ichinomine (Upper Shrine Sacred Site) is said to be the place where the Inari Okami and other deities descended, making it the most powerful power spot on Mt. Inari.
If you are doing the Oyama Meguri pilgrimage, be sure to stop and pray here.
You can draw an omikuji fortune here for free, so try your luck at one of Kyoto’s top power spots.

Okunoin is located beyond the Senbon Torii.
It is said to be a place for worshipping the three peaks of Mt. Inari, where the Inari Okami is believed to have descended.
The three peaks of Mt. Inari rise behind it, giving the area a sacred atmosphere.
It is unknown when Okunoin was founded. The current shrine building was constructed in 1794, and in 1975 it was moved to its present location farther back, with a worship hall added in front.

These fox ema are votive plaques featuring foxes, which are considered messengers of the Inari Okami.
An ema is a wooden plaque with a picture on it, offered at a shrine when making a wish or after a wish has come true.
Most ema are generally shaped like a small house, so fox-themed ema are especially unique and rare.
Another fun feature is that visitors can freely draw the fox’s expression.

The Omo-karu Stone sits on top of a stone lantern on the right side facing Okunoin.
It is said that if the stone feels lighter than you expected when you lift it, your wish will come true, but if it feels heavy, your wish is less likely to come true.
Simply think of your wish in front of the lantern, imagine the weight of the round stone on top, and then lift it to try this fortune-telling ritual for yourself.

A handmade udon restaurant located just steps from Keihan Fushimi-Inari Station.
It has remained a popular local favorite for more than 25 years since the owner opened it in 1995 after 10 years of training. The name comes from the phrase “humbly, single-mindedly making udon.”
The udon is made in-house every morning by the owner using an original blend of flour.
Boiling the noodles in a pressure cooker creates their distinctive chewy and silky texture.

A restaurant located right beside the torii gate at the entrance to the back approach of Fushimi Inari.
The first thing you notice is the eel being grilled fragrantly out front. In addition to whole grilled eel, the restaurant also offers reasonably priced unadon.
The key to the flavor is the restaurant’s secret homemade sauce, which is also used for its grilled quail skewers.
As you would expect in the gate town of Inari Shrine, its easy-to-enjoy inari sushi is also popular.

This ramen shop is just a 1-minute walk from Keihan Fushimi-Inari Station and is also popular with international visitors to Fushimi Inari.
It is often mentioned in Kyoto, a city known for fierce ramen competition, and lines often form around lunchtime.
The signature dish is the Tori Tonkotsu Ramen. As the name suggests, it features a rich soup made by simmering large amounts of fresh chicken bones and pork bones for two days, perfectly paired with house-made noodles and topped with oven-roasted chashu pork, Kujo green onions, and menma bamboo shoots.

The head temple of the Tofukuji school of the Rinzai sect, it was commissioned by Regent Kujo Michiie as a family temple with Shoichi Kokushi as its founding priest, and its seven main temple buildings were completed in 1255 after 19 years of construction beginning in 1236.
It is also one of the Kyoto Gozan, the five great Zen temples of Kyoto. Since its founding, it has suffered repeated war damage, and the current Sanmon Gate was rebuilt in 1425 and is known as the oldest surviving Zen temple gate in Japan.
It was designated a National Treasure in 1952 and stands 22m tall.

It is sometimes also written as Kamogawa or Kamo River using different kanji.
The Kamo River rises near Sajikigatake and flows south through central Kyoto before joining the Katsura River in Toba. Around Shijo, Gion lies to the east and Kawaramachi to the west, making it the center of Kyoto’s commercial district and one of the city’s most iconic landscapes.

It rises directly in front of you as soon as you exit the ticket gates at Kyoto Station.
Built with the image of a lighthouse illuminating the city of Kyoto, it stands 131m tall and is the tallest building in central Kyoto.
Since opening in 1964, it has welcomed more than 32 million visitors.
From the observation deck 100m above the ground, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Kyoto.
On clear days, you can even see as far as Osaka using the free telescopes installed there.

This hotel is a renovation of a Kyoto machiya townhouse that is more than 100 years old and was used as a sales office for the sake brewer Kinshi Masamune since the Meiji era.
The Kinshi Masamune sign still remains, and the building retains so much character that at first glance you might not even realize it is a hotel.
The newly built guest room wing also includes small courtyard gardens, creating the atmosphere of a traditional Kyoto machiya.
All 48 guest rooms come with a hiba cypress bath, where you can enjoy a relaxing bath surrounded by the fragrance of wood.

A next-generation hotel focused on accommodations, opened in April 2022.
Based on the concept of an accommodation-focused hotel pursuing innovation, it offers services that make full use of ICT and AI.
From booking to Check-out, everything can be completed on your smartphone using the official app.
From its exterior inspired by a modern machiya townhouse to its spaces themed around “learning from the past to create the new,” the hotel draws on traditional Kyoto while maintaining a simple, modern feel.

A design hotel conveniently located in Karasuma Sanjo in central Kyoto, making it a great base for sightseeing.
The interior is inspired by Edinburgh, the ancient Scottish city that is a sister city of Kyoto, creating a calming atmosphere.
The hotel has 327 guest rooms, with a wide range of room types from functional single rooms to family rooms that can accommodate up to four guests.