Inari Shinto Shrine Kyoto

A must visit .. when one is in Kyoto.  The Fushimi-Inari Taisha jinja (shrine) in the south-eastern suburbs of Fushimi-ku, Kyoto is one of most recognizable icons of Japan, and the 4km long corridor of reddish-orange gates called torii that snake their way up Inari Mountain were featured in the 2005 film Memoirs of a Geisha.

Fushimi-Inari is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirit Inari, who’s name was derived from ine-nari, or “growing rice” or “grain.” The Fushimi-Inari shrine is the oldest and most prominent Inari shrine, and the founding of the shrine in 711 AD coincides with the earliest recorded worship of the spirit Inari.