Quick answer: Fushimi Inari Taisha was founded in 711 and is the head shrine of roughly 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan. Its famous “Senbon Torii” (thousand torii gates) is a later tradition — since the Edo period, worshippers have donated individual gates as thanks for granted wishes, and that centuries-long accumulation is what created the tunnel of vermilion gates you see today.
A Shrine Founded in 711
According to shrine tradition, Fushimi Inari Taisha was established in 711 (Wadō 4), when a clan called the Hata enshrined the deity Inari Ōkami on Mount Inari in southern Kyoto. That makes it well over 1,300 years old, and it has remained the single most important Inari shrine in Japan ever since — the head shrine, or sōhongû, of an estimated 30,000 Inari shrines nationwide, from small neighborhood altars to major regional shrines.
Inari is associated with rice, agriculture, business prosperity, and general good fortune, which is part of why the deity’s shrines spread so widely: farmers prayed for good harvests, and as Japan’s economy grew, merchants and companies increasingly prayed for business success. Foxes (kitsune) are regarded as Inari’s messengers, which is why fox statues — rather than the lion-dogs seen at many other shrines — guard Fushimi Inari’s gates.
How the Thousand Torii Tradition Began
The mountain’s thousands of torii gates are not part of the shrine’s original 8th-century construction. The custom of donating a torii gate goes back to the Edo period (1603–1868) and later, and it grew out of a simple play on words: torii (鳥居) sounds like “tōru” (通る), meaning “to pass through” or “to go well.” Worshippers began donating gates either to pray that a wish would “pass through” and come true, or afterward, as a thank-you offering once it had. Individuals, families, and especially businesses have continued the practice into the present day, each gate inscribed with the donor’s name and the date.
Because this has been going on for well over 150 years, the gates have accumulated into the dense corridors now known as Senbon Torii (“thousand torii”) — though the real count across the whole mountain path is closer to 10,000. Donating a gate today still costs a substantial sum, from several hundred thousand yen for a small gate up to over a million yen for a large one, which is part of why the practice has remained closely tied to successful businesses.
A Modern Icon: Why Foreign Visitors Love It
Fushimi Inari has become one of the most visited attractions in Japan among international travelers. In a widely cited 2014 ranking, TripAdvisor’s Japan users voted it the single most popular attraction in the country among foreign visitors — ahead of well-known sites like Mount Fuji and Nikkō Tōshōgû — and it has consistently ranked at or near the top of similar lists in the years since. The appeal is straightforward: a genuinely striking, highly photogenic corridor of vermilion gates, free admission, and a shrine complex that’s open 24 hours a day, so it can be visited early or late to avoid the biggest crowds.
The full walking route to the summit of Mount Inari and back takes roughly two to three hours and passes smaller sub-shrines, teahouses, and scenic viewpoints over Kyoto, though most visitors are satisfied with the shorter walk through the main Senbon Torii section near the base.
Partway up the mountain, near the Yotsutsuji viewpoint where the main torii-lined paths diverge, sits Okusha Hōhaisho and its pair of “omokaru ishi” (heavy-light stones) — a small, popular fortune-telling ritual where visitors make a wish, then lift one of two stone lanterns. If it feels lighter than expected, the wish is said to come true; heavier, and it won’t. It’s a low-key, hands-on echo of the same “will my wish pass through?” spirit behind the torii donations further down the mountain.
Quick facts:
- Founded: 711 (Wadō 4)
- Deity enshrined: Inari Ōkami
- Role: Head shrine of roughly 30,000 Inari shrines nationwide
- Torii gates on the mountain: Roughly 10,000
- Admission: Free
- Hours: Shrine grounds open 24 hours
Practical tips: Wear comfortable shoes if you plan to hike beyond the first viewpoint (Yotsutsuji), as the path is a real uphill walk on stone steps. Early morning (before 8am) or after sunset are the best times to see the gates without heavy crowds, and the shrine is a short walk from JR Inari Station, one stop from Kyoto Station on the JR Nara Line.
Getting There
Nearest station: JR Inari Station, on the JR Nara Line.
JR Inari Station sits right outside the shrine’s main entrance — walk out of the station and the great red torii gate is directly in front of you, about a 2-minute walk. From Kyoto Station, it’s one stop (about 9 minutes) on a local JR Nara Line train; note that rapid and express trains don’t stop at Inari, so make sure you board a local (futsū) service.
FAQ
- How many torii gates are actually at Fushimi Inari? Roughly 10,000 across the whole mountain, though the famous, densely packed section near the shrine’s base is what’s specifically called Senbon Torii (“thousand torii”).
- Can anyone donate a torii gate? Yes, in principle, though the cost is significant, and most gates today are still donated by companies as a form of prayer for continued business success.
- Is Fushimi Inari a UNESCO World Heritage Site? No — despite its fame, it is not part of Kyoto’s UNESCO-listed “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto,” which covers a different set of temples and shrines.
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