Summary: Kyoto, a city steeped in rich cultural heritage and history, has an impressive collection of over 1600 Buddhist temples and more than 400 Shinto shrines. This remarkable concentration of spiritual sites makes Kyoto a must-see destination for those interested in exploring Japan's religious traditions and architectural beauty. Given the sheer number of these temples and shrines, it was clear that we could not possibly visit them all within our limited time frame. However, we dedicated an entire day in Kyoto to immerse ourselves in the experience of visiting many of the more notable and historically significant sites that the city has to offer. Among the highlights of our day were the iconic Fushimi Inari Taisha, known for its thousands of vibrant red torii gates that create a breathtaking pathway up the sacred Mount Inari; the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkakuji, which is renowned for its stunning architectural design and serene reflection in the surrounding pond; and Kodaiji Temple, a tranquil oasis that has exquisite gardens, a bamboo forest, and traditional Zen aesthetics. Each of these sites not only represents the artistic and spiritual essence of Kyoto but also offers a unique glimpse into the historical narratives that have shaped this extraordinary city over the centuries.
[This blog is part of a 15-days in Japan series].
About Fushimi Inari Taisha. Our first stop of the day was at Fushimi Inari Taisha. This UNESCO World Heritage site is a Shinto Shrine dating back to the 8th Century. Still in use today, the Shrine is famous for its vermilion torii gates that straddle the walkways. The total length of the loop to the top is approximately 2.7 miles in length. This free attraction is easily accessible from the JR Nara Line. The photo below is the entrance gate which is right outside of the train station.
Once inside, the first stop is to watch Shinto priests undergoing a morning ritual. Photo below is the shrine; we didn't take photos of the priests at work.
Next, we started the walk to the top of the mountain through the torii gates. They all point towards Mount Inari and the lettering consists of people and companies that have donated.
We walked behind a priest making his way up.
The colorful gates against the green vegetation is striking.
This is a mountain so be prepared for some elevation gain (about 775 feet).
The first photo below is the view at the first stop, before you take the next loop around the balance of the grounds.
Tips on Visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha:
Go early! The temple is open 24 hours per day but the crowds really start to pick up about 9:00 a.m. We left our AirBnB for central station Kyoto, at 7:00 a.m., arriving at the temple at 7:30 a.m. Already, there were many tourists but not so much to be unpleasant.
Bring water. Even early in the morning, the heat index required a ton of water in order to make it around the full grounds.
Plan on staying for a bit. Walking the whole route and seeing the grounds will take between 2-3 hours depending on your pace and how many times you stop for photos, etc.
Golden Pavilion. Next, we traveled to Hanazono Station to head over to our next stop, the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji). This landmark is out of the way and without great public transportation access so we decided to Uber from Hanazono Station. This Zen temple was a retirement residence of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Lost to fires many times over the years, the current structure was last built in 1955.
The grounds, which take only about 30 minutes to view, are lovely. Just outside the entrance gate, we sat here to enjoy our packed lunch on the go.
Renting Bicycles. After lunch we took an Uber back to Hanazono Station, then a train to Kyoto Station where we rented bicycles for an afternoon self-guided bike tour of several of Kyoto's temples. Oddly enough, we have virtually no photos of the bicycles themselves.
Tips on Renting & Riding Bikes. First, don't do what we did. Ha! We had this idea that riding around on a bike would be fun, but it ended up being way too hot. The photo below is one of many stops at a vending machine, having quickly depleted our water reserves. Second, the route had way too many cars on the road. We would have been better off just taking a cab closer to the temples and walking from there. So, unless you're okay with traffic in a foreign country, we would say skip the bike part and enjoy the stops by foot instead. If you want to rent bikes, the bicycle shop we used was great. Here is the route as well.
We did see many pretty sites along the way, including the Yasaka-dori (bottom photo below), a 6th century Buddhist pagoda.
We also paid for parking our bikes to see the Kodaiji Temple.
Kodaiji Temple.
This Zen Buddhist temple was founded in 1606 to honor Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a samurai and feudal lord who rose from a peasant background to become the most powerful person in the nation. Known as the "great unifier," he played a key role in ending the country's warring states period. The temple's beautiful grounds also feature a small bamboo forest.
Near the parking lot, we tried our first kakigori (shaved ice with condensed milk).
In the final part of the day, we headed back to return our bikes, making a quick stop at Yasaka Shrine before wrapping up. We traveled in September, when the temperatures were cooler than earlier in the summer, but even in the 90s, the heat can be exhausting. Be sure to stay hydrated and consider ending your day early because of the heat.
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