Fushimi Inari The Most Iconic Shrine In Japan

If there is one shrine you shouldn’t miss in Japan, it is the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The shrine is dedicated to Inari Kami, the god of rice. He is believed to bless his devotees with abundant wealth, success, and good luck to those devoted to him. And God’s messenger, the Fushimi Inari fox, decorated every corner of the Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Fushimi Inari Shrine

This shrine is the head of Inari shrines all over Japan, bringing millions of visitors annually. Located opposite Inari station, it’s a 5-minute train ride from Kyoto station.

Torii Gates

Fushimi Inari is famous for the thousand torii gates.

These gates, mostly made of wood and painted orange, were a form of a donation from individuals, families or companies. Their names were engraved on them, and the girls read them to me occasionally if they found something interesting to share. Donating a torii gate costs up to or more than a million Yen, but you can also get a miniature one for 800 Yen.

Wish-granting Fox Prayer Board

At the end of one of the tunnels, there is a sub-shrine. You can write your wishes on a fox-shaped prayer or locally known as an ema board. It’s similar to drawing eyes on the Japanese Daruma Doll, believed to grant your wishes.

In the shrine, my friend wrote hers in Chinese. Her wish was for the Inari to grant her love and good luck. I didn’t write any wishes this time. Instead, I bought a safe delivery good charm for my best friend, who was pregnant then.

Like Koyasan, Fushimi Inari Shrine is also one of Japan’s UNESCO heritage sites. Next time I travel, I will research other UNESCO heritage places and put them on my itinerary.

— KK