稲荷神社

About this photo

A large torii gate bearing a plaque spans the approach, and a few worshippers walk beneath it toward the shrine. Tall trees line both sides, and on the left is a stone structure surrounded by a fence. This is today's Fushimi Inari Taisha, which appears under the title "Inari Jinja" (Inari Shrine) in Kyoto Meishocho (Album of Famous Places in Kyoto), published in 1909 (Meiji 42).

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of all Inari shrines, which are said to number about 30,000 across Japan. The romon on the grounds, a tower gate that looks as if it has two stories, was rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1589. The custom of offering a torii in thanks for a wish that came true began in the Edo period, and as the gates added up over time, they became the Senbon Torii (Thousand Torii), where vermilion torii follow one another with no gaps between them.

Glossary