Fushimi Inari Temple

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the most famous of several thousand sanctuaries in Japan. It is dedicated to the passage of Inari through the country. Inari is the Shinto god of rice. The Japanese believe that foxes are his messengers. Therefore, in the idols of Inari there are many statues of foxes.

Fushimi Inari Sanctuary became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. From 1871 to 1946, the government actively supported it.

The earliest buildings on the hill of Inariyama appeared in 711. But the sanctuary was moved here in 816 at the request of the monk Kukai. In 1499 the main building was built. At the bottom of the hill are the main gate and the main building. Behind them, in the middle of the mountain, is an inner idol, to which thousands of paths lead. To the top of the mountain are tens of thousands of mounds for worship.

Foxes are regarded as messengers, and often visit the Sanctuaries of Inari. One feature is that in their teeth is the key to the granary. Unlike most other Shinto sanctuaries, Fushimi Inari has an object of worship open to the public. On the Japanese New Year, millions of visitors come here (3 days there are more than 2.5 million people here).