The magical landscape where countless Torii gates stretch on endlessly

The other day, hearing that a former high school classmate of mine was holding a group exhibition of oil paintings at an art gallery in a department store in Kyoto, I decided on a whim—while on my way there—to stop by Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine.

Fushimi Inari Taisha locates just in front of JR Inari station, two stops from JR Kyoto Station on the Nara Line. It takes only about 5 minutes to arrive from Kyoto Station.

The countless vermilion Torii gates lined up like a tunnel, creating a scene that feels truly extraordinary, as shown below photos. I think it is the reason for its popularity. 

Now, this is the start line of the endless Torii gates.

Then, the tunnel of Torii gates splits into two lines. In Japan, traffic moves on the right side, so please go through the tunnel on the right. Tourists are taking commemorative photos inside the tunnel of Torii gates on the left.

Tourists are walking through the right torii-gate tunnel.

After Torii gates separate, the line of Torii gates merge into a single line again, but the procession of Torii gates continues endlessly up to the mount Inari, 233m above sea level.

When I was passing by tourists in the Torii tunnel, it is actually a relief for me to hear Japanese conversation from them. This means just how saturated this spot is with foreign languages other than Japanese. It might be an exaggeration, but it feels like there are nothing but foreign tourists.

The guide map of Fushimi Inari Taisha. 

The site designated by No.1 is the start line of the endless Torii gates and No.2 is the location where the Torii gates split into two lines.

This is an old-fashioned cafe established in 1864 that is located at the junction named Yotsutsuji, reaching to the summit of the mount Inari.  The location is designated by the No.3 in the above map. 

We can order drinks, shaved ice, soft serve and light snacks like udon noodles. However, they are pricey because it's a tourist spot. From at least what I could see, there were hardly any other Japanese tourists besides myself; it was almost entirely foreign tourists. It might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it gives me the illusion of being in a foreign tourist destination.

A view of Kyoto city from the cafe. A crow seems to be hoping to get some food from tourists. There was a notice warning people to be careful, as crows would snatch burning candles by their beak from worship places and carry them away, causing forest fires.

The Torii gates continue all the way to the summit of the mount Inari designated by No.4 in the above map, but I gave up reaching the top part way through. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the loop along the walking path from here to the summit.

There are several worship places with burning candles along the path. Crows might carry off such burning candles.

Now, let me introduce Fushimi Inari Taisha from the beginning.

This is the "Romon" (Tower Gate), the main entrance of Fushimi Inari Taisha. It was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a famous Japanese samurai lord, in 1589.

Next, this is the Gehaiden, Outer Worship Hall. It is an important worship hall at Fushimi Inari Taisha, constructed in 1840, the late Edo period. It primarily serves as a stage for the Kagura performance, sacred music and dance in Shinto worship, and is also used as a venue for Shinto rituals.

Beyond that, the Naihaiden, Inner Worship Hall of Fushimi Inari Taisha. This is a relatively new building, constructed in 1961. It is located just in front of the Main Hall.

This is the Main Hall of Fushimi Inari Taisha that was rebuilt in 1499. The Inner Worship Hall is partially visible on the far right of the photo.

Beyond the main hall, the long line of countless Torii gates begins from left side.

I visited on September 11th, 2026.