Dedicated to Inari, the Japanese god of rice and sake, a climb up the historic route up Mount Inari to the Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine's former grounds is a spiritual journey in Japan for all who undertake it.
Although the ancient shrine was moved to the bottom of its namesake mountain, guests are encouraged to make the climb to its original spot. Travelers can reach the summit by way of a winding series of paths. Set deep in Japanese forests, the surreal nature of this hike is created through the more than 10,000 traditional torii gates that frame the paths - in some spots, these archways have been placed so close together that they form darkened tunnels, evoking a type of sacred hush over the route.
Along the way, guests should keep an eye out for the number of stone statues depicting foxes, which are said to be the messengers of the rice god.
A steep, challenging climb, hikers are heavily rewarded at the mountain's summit with views stretching to the far corners of Kyoto. Guests can also reward themselves with a delicious meal of inari-zushi, rice balls in pockets of tofu, and warming Japanese tea.
Celebrate the world's most popular food on Fushimi Inari
Posted on Thursday, March 8th, 2012
