Photo: Paul Vlaar / CC BY-SA 3.0Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of the roughly 30,000 Inari shrines in Japan, enshrined in 711 according to the shrine's own history. What brings visitors is the path up Mt Inari (233 m): the shrine says around 10,000 torii of every size line the mountain paths, and the tunnel of vermilion gates at Senbon Torii is one of the most photographed sights in Japan.
You arrive at Inari Station and the shrine is right in front of it. There is the main gate Hideyoshi paid for in 1589 (the Romon), the large main hall rebuilt in 1499, and then the gates begin behind it. There are stone altars all the way up, a halfway tea stall and shop, and a lookout over Kyoto at one of the shinseki (sites of former shrines). The Japan National Tourism Organisation says the full circuit takes two to three hours.
The catch is distance and legs. It is over an hour each way with three changes in our route-planner sample, and the path climbs 233 metres. On a short call, do not go: Osaka has Dotonbori, the castle and the aquarium on the doorstep. On a long call, choose this over a rushed Kyoto-in-general, and do only the lower section if your knees say so.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Take the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station: Inari is the second stop, about 5 minutes, per the shrine. The shrine stands right next to the station.
- Keihan line's Fushimi-inari Station is another way in, about 5–7 minutes' walk east to the shrine according to the shrine and the national tourism site.
- Go up as far as your legs choose and turn round. The national tourism site notes a souvenir shop and tea stall about halfway.
- The national tourism site suggests late morning to mid-afternoon; Kyoto's tourism site likes late afternoon for atmosphere. On a ship day, pick the time that gets you back to the train with margin.
- Check your ship's all-aboard time against the last Kyoto-line train you could reasonably take; add a spare hour. A Yahoo! Japan sample gave 1 h 17 min each way, ¥1,200 by IC.
The Japan National Tourism Organisation says the full circuit takes two to three hours.
Guided days from Osaka
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
Questions people ask here
How do I get from the Osaka cruise terminal to Fushimi Inari?
Walk about 10 minutes to Osakako station, then take the Chuo line and JR trains (JR Special Rapid) to Kyoto and the JR Nara Line two stops to Inari Station. A Yahoo! Japan route search gave 1 h 17 min and ¥1,200 with IC for a 09:00 departure; Kyoto Station was 56 minutes away. The shrine is next to Inari Station.
How long does Fushimi Inari take?
The Japan National Tourism Organisation says touring the mountain takes two to three hours. The lower torii alone is much shorter, about an hour including the main buildings.
Is Kyoto doable from Osaka on a cruise call?
On a call of about eight hours or more, one district, yes. On a short call, no. Pick one place, as the transfer is over an hour each way.