Fushimi Inari Taisha

History and Divine Virtue

The head shrine of the roughly thirty thousand Inari shrines across Japan, founded, tradition holds, when the deity descended upon Mount Inari in 711. The principal deity, Uka-no-Mitama no Ōkami, is the god of food and agriculture symbolized by rice, and together with four other deities is collectively venerated as Inari Ōkami. From its origins in prayers for abundant harvests, the shrine came over the centuries to be widely revered as a guardian of prosperous business and flourishing family trades, and it draws one of the largest crowds in Japan for the New Year's first visit. Behind the main sanctuary, the path ascending Mount Inari is lined with layer upon layer of torii gates dedicated in prayer and gratitude; this vermilion corridor, known as the Senbon Torii or "thousand gates," has become the defining image of Fushimi Inari. The whole of Mount Inari is sacred ground, and the custom of the oyama-meguri — a pilgrimage circuit of the otsuka altars on the mountain — has continued since antiquity. The main hall at the foot of the mountain, rebuilt after the Onin War, is designated an Important Cultural Property.

Visiting Notes

• The Senbon Torii forms twin corridors leading to the Okusha worship site. Early morning is quieter and easier for walking.
• The omokaru-ishi at the Okusha worship site is a beloved trial stone: the weight you feel when lifting it is said to foretell whether your wish will be granted.
• The oyama-meguri circuit around Mount Inari takes about two hours. From the Yotsutsuji crossing, the whole of Kyoto spreads out below.

Deities and Location

Enshrined Deities

Uka-no-Mitama no Ōkami and four other deities

Location

京都府京都市伏見区深草藪之内町 (Kyoto)

Access

Directly outside Inari Station on the JR Nara Line, or about a 5-minute walk from Fushimi-Inari Station on the Keihan Main Line

Lineage

Wealth & Prosperity

Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.