Fushimi Inari (伏見稲荷大社) is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto and one of the most iconic sights in all of Japan. It’s best known for its thousands of torii gates, over 10,000 of them, forming tunnels along forested trails on the sacred Mount Inari. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousand shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are considered Inari’s messengers, which is why you’ll see many fox statues throughout the shrine grounds.

The torii gates along the trails are donated by individuals and companies. On the back of each gate, you’ll find the donor’s name and the date of donation. Prices start at around 400,000 yen for a smaller gate and can exceed 1 million yen for larger ones. The full hike to the summit and back takes about 2–3 hours. Along the way, you’ll find small restaurants serving local specialties like Inari sushi and kitsune udon - both featuring fried tofu, said to be a favorite food of foxes.