Casual walk in the heart of Japan

inari shrine, girl

A classic number one attraction in the modern Japan. Fushimi Inari, 10,000 orange shrines dedicated to the god of rice and sake, spread across a mountain. If you manage to avoid the crowds, the walk along the trail can be a mini-adventure itself: the pathway wanders 4km and takes about two hours to complete. And if the place feels familiar, it is not a deja vu: parts of the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha ” were filmed here.

inari shrine, orange shrines

What to know: all of the gates were paid for and donated by national and local businesses, sometimes even individuals. The small ones start from a humble price of 400,000 yen ($3,500), larger ones can go for 1,300,000 yen ($12,000).

When to go: officially the shrine opens at 09:00 and closes at 17:00 but technically it’s open 24 hours. The time between 11:00 and 16:00 is the absolutely worst: the crowds of tourists cover enough ground to make any photo literally impossible. So, pick either morning or evening – this is the only holy window when tourist buses aren’t there.

How to book: Fushimi Inari Shrine is completely free – and it is actually the only place of its kind that is free in Japan. Enjoy that rare chance to save money in the Land of the Rising Sun.

 

 

(Visited 390 times, 1 visits today)
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *