Senbon Torii (千本鳥居, Thousand Torii Gates)
- Despite the name "Senbon" meaning "1,000," there are actually over 10,000 torii gates lining the paths up Mount Inari. They form an otherworldly tunnel of bright vermilion!
- Every gate has black kanji inscriptions - showing the name of the donor and the date of donation.
- Fushimi Inari is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice, agriculture, and prosperity. Foxes are believed to be Inari’s messengers, which is why you’ll see many fox statues holding keys or scrolls in their mouths.
- The torii gates line the path up Mount Inari, and hiking to the summit takes about 1.5-2 hours round trip. Along the way, you’ll pass small shrines, stone foxes, and quiet forest paths.