I had seen the pictures before a seemingly endless row of vermilion torii gates, forming a tunnel of red and black that snakes up the hillside. But nothing prepared me for the actual sight of Fushimi Inari Shrine, the most famous and impressive of Japan's many shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice and prosperity.
The shrine is located in southern Kyoto, at the foot of sacred Mount Inari. The shrine dates back to the 8th century when Kyoto was still a new capital and Inari was a powerful patron of the imperial court and the common people alike. Foxes are believed to be Inari's messengers, and their statues abound on the shrine grounds, often holding a key or a jewel in their mouths.
