Fushimi Inari Tasha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan.
This is such an iconic beautiful place that it’s always full of people.
How can we avoid crowds in Kyoto?
Except for a few, Shinto shrines are open for 24/7. Actually most of them don’t even have a gate to close. This Fushimi Inari is 1 of them. Technically we can visit there literally anytime. And moreover, this shrine has a train station, Inari Station, and the first train leaves Kyoto Station at 5:33, which arrives at Inari at 5:39. So technically we can get there cheaply before 6:00 a.m. It’s pretty empty at that time there.
Btw, most temples open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 4:00-5:00 p.m., except for some, such as Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji. We can couple this shrine with Kiyomizu-dera Temple in our early walk.
Photos & article by Shintaro Takagi
