Tofuku-ji Temple to Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine

The southern end of Kyoto's Higashiyama (Eastern Mountain) district is my favorite area of the city for a walk. Nestled against the mountains are some of the city's most atmospheric temples and Fushimi-Inari Taisha, a fascinating complex of shrines scattered across a wooded hilltop. If you want a taste of the mysterious side of Japan, this walk is for you.

The walk starts at Tofuku-ji, a lovely temple complex that is often overlooked by visitors to Kyoto. After exploring Tofuku-ji, we will work our way through some narrow streets and alleys to the tiny Shirahige Okami, a beguiling little shrine tucked into a hillside grotto. Leaving this shrine, we enter the woods, and climb the northern slope of Mt. Inari, home of Fushimi-Inari Taisha. Here, we enter a world of vermillion torii (Shinto shrine gates), hidden shrines, strange stone figures and, according to some, legions of ghosts and spirits. After exploring this shrine complex for a while, we will descend the west side of the mountain, pausing to admire the excellent views across the whole of southern Kyoto. Finally, we come out at the base of Inari-san, where we visit the main halls of the shrine before boarding the train to return to downtown Kyoto.

This walk takes approximately three hours and can be done by anyone in good physical condition. The meeting point for the walk is the Tofuku-ji bus stop on Higashiyama-dori, which can be reached by bus from many parts of Kyoto. The endpoint of the walk is Fushimi-Inari Taisha, which has bus and train connections to all parts of Kyoto.

More photos from the hike: