Fushimi Inari Taisha is located in southern Kyoto and is a very important Shinto shrine. The shrine is renowned for its thousands of vermilion torii gates and its network of trails.

The trails lead into the forest of Mount Inari, which is 233m high and belongs to the shrine grounds. Fushimi Inari Taisha is dedicated to the Shinto god of rice, Inari.

Foxes are said to be Inari's messengers, and many statues of them can be seen all across the shrine grounds.

Fushimi Inari Shrine has ancient origins, predating the capital's move to Kyoto in 794.

While the primary reason most foreign visitors come to Fushimi Inari Shrine is to explore the mountain trails, the shrine buildings themselves are also attractive.

At the shrine's entrance stands the Romon Gate, which was donated in 1589 by the famous leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Behind stands the shrine's main hall (honden) where all visitors are encouraged to pay respect to the resident deity by making a small offering.

The hike to the summit of the mountain and back takes about 2-3 hours, however, visitors are free to walk just as far as they wish before turning back.

Admission is free and there is no closing time.

Getting There: Fushimi Inari Shrine is located just outside JR Inari Station, the second station from Kyoto Station along the JR Nara Line (5 minutes, 150 yen one way from Kyoto Station, not served by rapid trains).

The shrine can also be reached in a short walk from Fushimi Inari Station along the Keihan Main Line.

Admission Fee: Free.

Opening Hours: 24 hours

Importance Rating: 9 - this is one of Kyoto's most memorable sights and well worth a visit.

Busyness Rating: 9 - it gets very busy, but the higher you get, the fewer the people.

Top Tips: If you're here in the first few days of January you may witness throngs of people visiting - the first shrine visit of the year. 08 April also marks an annual festival, the Sangyo-Sai with lots of dances and offerings.

It will take you 2-3 hours if you want to hik all the way to the top.