Fushimi Inari Shrine

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Lore & Background

The shrine's foundation is traditionally dated to 711 CE (the Wadō era). According to the Yamashiro-no-kuni Fudoki, the shrine was established by Hata no Irogu. Legend states that Irogu, a wealthy landowner, shot an arrow at a mochi, which then transformed into a white bird and flew to the peak of Mount Inari; rice grew where the bird landed, leading Irogu to enshrine the deity there. The shrine gained imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami decreed that messengers carry written accounts of important events to the guardian kami of Japan. These heihaku were initially presented to 16 shrines, including the Inari Shrine. From 1871 through 1946, Fushimi Inari-taisha was officially designated one of the Kanpei-taisha, meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. Unlike most Shinto shrines, Fushimi Inari-taisha, in keeping with typical Inari shrines, has an open view of the main object of worship (a mirror).

In Their Own Story

The afternoon sun filtered through the dense canopy of cedar trees, casting dappled shadows on the endless row of vermilion gates. Shoya walked slowly, his hands deep in his pockets, feeling the familiar weight of the world pressing against his chest. The path was steep, but the air here felt lighter than in the city. He stopped at a small stone lantern, looking back to see Shoko catching up, her hearing aids glinting softly in the light. They didn't speak immediately; there was no need for words to fill the space between them. In this ancient place, surrounded by centuries of prayers, the silence wasn't empty—it was full of understanding.

Reader's Guide

The highlight of the shrine is the rows of torii gates, known as Senbon torii, 'thousand torii'. The custom to donate a torii began spreading from the Edo period (1603–1868) to have a wish come true or in gratitude for a wish that came true, with successive gates being added up to the present day by donors out of gratitude. Along the main path there are around 800 torii gates. At the bottom of the hill are the main gate (rōmon, 'tower gate') and the main shrine (go-honden). Behind them, in the middle of the mountain, the inner shrine (okumiya) is reachable by a path lined with thousands of torii. On the way to the top of the mountain are tens of thousands of rock altars (otsuka) for private worship. These rock altars are personalised Inari that have been set up there by citizens. Most of them have individual names for Inari engraved on them. The shrine is just outside Inari Station on the Nara Line of the West Japan Railway Company (JR), a five-minute ride from Kyoto Station. It is a short walk from Fushimi-Inari Station on the Main Line of the Keihan Electric Railway.

Did You Know?

• The shrine is said to have as many as 32,000 sub-shrines throughout Japan.
• A drawing in Kiyoshi Nozaki's Kitsune: Japan's Fox of Mystery, Romance and Humor in 1786 says that its two-story entry gate was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
• The shrine draws several million worshipers over the Japanese New Year, 2.69 million for 3 days in 2006 reported by the police, the most in western Japan.
• In the approach to the shrine are a number of sweet shops selling tsujiura senbei, a form of fortune cookie dating at least to the 19th century, which are believed by some to be the origin of the American fortune cookie.
• Foxes (kitsune), regarded as the messengers, are often found in Inari shrines. One attribute is a key (for the rice granary) in their mouths.