Fushimi Inari Taisha｜伏見稲荷大社

As you walk through Fushimi Inari Shrine you will notice that you are surrounded by fox statues, foxes being considered messengers of the god Inari. These statues come in all shapes and sizes, many holding a symbolic item in their mouths or beneath their front paws, like a key to a rice granary or a stone representing the god’s spirit. Though most of the statues are made of stone, you can also find porcelain foxes placed on altars.  You might expect these foxes to be red or brown, but in order to symbolize that these kitsune are mythical creatures normally invisible to the human eye, they’re shown as white.  While you’re making your way through the shrine, see how many different foxes you encounter!

Thanks to their connection with foxes, there are a lot of souvenir shops selling goods related to the animal around Fushimi Inari Taisha. Handmade fox masks are a well-known souvenir and start from just 1,000 yen. Made from Japanese washi paper, they are particularly popular during festival season at the shrine. Not just for wearing, these masks also make great decorations for your home.

Cute, fox-shaped rice crackers have been made in this area for over 100 years using the same delicious recipe, individually made with love from white miso, sesame, sugar and flour.

Ema (votive tablets for writing wishes on) are very popular in shrines and temples around Japan. People write their wishes and leave the tablets hanging up at the shrine where the kami (Shinto deities) can receive them. Usually ema have a more rectangular shape, but the special ema at Fushimi Inari Taisha are in a shape of a fox. These ema can be purchased at the shrine for 500 yen. When you buy the ema you write your wish on the back, and on the front you draw the face of the fox. It’s exciting to see all the ema lined up with the different faces that the visitors drew!

Step One: Draw a face on the fox (the front of the ema). Give the fox some character and feel free to add your personal touch.

Step Two: Fill in the text.

   Wish (願い): Write down anything your heart desires.
   Address (住所): This part is optional.
   Name (氏名): Write your name.
   Date (参拝日): Write the current date.

Step Three: Hang the ema on the ema display racks with the face towards you.

If you’ve seen any photos of Kyoto at all, you’ve probably seen one of a long tunnel of vermilion gates that seems to have no end.  This tunnel is actually at Fushimi Inari Taisha, and is made up of things called torii gates. To express gratitude to the deity of the shrine, visitors traditionally donate a torii gate whenever their wish comes true or when making a prayer for prosperity.  This tradition has been carried out over several centuries now, and as a result the shrine has accumulated countless gates, giving them the name senbondorii (“a thousand gates”). On the back of every torii gate you will see the name of the donator and the date they made their contribution. Depending on the size, it can cost between 180,000 to 1,300,000 yen for each gate, and exploring the tunnels up the mountain can take hours.

The main shrine is set at the back of the lower complex situated at the base of the mountain. After you pass the two-storied rōmon gate you will see the main shrine, a red building up a few stairs through the open stage of the prayer hall. There you can pay your respects by giving a small coin offering, ringing the bells, and praying by bowing twice, clapping twice, praying silently, and then bowing once again.  Be mindful that photos of the main hall interior are not allowed and there are security guard present to enforce the no-photo policy that begins once you mount the stairs towards the main hall.

Once you travel through the vermilion torii gates you will arrive at the Okushahōhai-sho, a shrine hall where you will find two very special rocks.  The rocks are called omokaru ishi (“heavy-light rocks”) and they are said to be able to predict the likelihood that you’ll achieve your dreams. First, you place a small donation into the donation box, and then make your wish in front of the rocks before picking one up. If the rock is lighter than you thought it would be, your wish might be coming true soon. However, if the rock is heavier than you thought, your wish might take quite some time before being realized.

In order to accommodate the numerous foreign visitors that come to visit Fushimi Inari Taisha, the shrine has set up several useful support systems. 

Located near the major shrine buildings on the grounds are QR codes that can be read with a QR Code Reader application on smartphones, which take you directly to a page that explains the location in text or audio in four different languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. 

For those who may not have a QR Code Reader, free WI-FI is available courtesy the local shopping street under the name of "Fushimi Inari Village" (伏見稲荷ヴィレッジ), so you can download one from your app store on the spot. 

In addition, there is an Information Center table set up just inside the shrine's two-story gate with staff who can explain the shrine's precincts in English.