Hiking Mt. Inari

Located in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City in Kyoto Prefecture, Mt. Inari is one of the most scenic pilgrimage mountains of the Kansai Region of Japan.

Hiking Mt. Inari via the Bamboo Grove Course

Mt. Inari Details:

Mt. Inari or simply Inariyama, stands 233 meters tall and is a perfect day hike for those living in the city. Since the mountain is a pilgrimage mountain, there are several trails one can use to reach its peak. Some of these trails are made easier by the manmade steps which probably cater to the older pilgrims. These trails pass through several shrines and sub-shrines and not to mention the arcades of vermillion torii gates. 

Arrived at Inari Station

Going through the Great torii to reach Fushimi Inari Shrine

Passing through Fushimi Inari's famed torii gates

The trail up Mt. Inari is just in front of this - the Neagarimatsu

Here's one of the trails up Mt. Inari

No more torii gates on this stretch of trail

For those who want a bit of challenge and of course lesser crowds, they can follow the Eastern Trail also known as the Bamboo Grove Course. From Fushimi Inari Shrine, follow the eastward trail to Okusha Hohaisho Shrine which is just several meters away from them famed Senbon Torii. 

Reached Fushimi Kandakara Shrine

Mt. Inari Bamboo Grove Course

Walking through the Bamboo Grove Course

The scenery just keeps getting better the further you are from Fushimi Inari Shrine

Continue until you see the pine tree stump called Neagarimatsu then follow the trail on the left to the uncemented path and walk for about 1.2 kilometers until you reach the cemented forked road of Northern Fukakusa Soboyamachio. 

We passed by several graveyards...

... mini shrines and lonely pathways until we reached...

The forked road of Northern Fukakusa Soboyamachio area

Hey! It's a vending machine. Perfect!

There was also a wood carving studio and info boards about the fauna in the area.

The trail led us to this fork with directions to follow the left trail

Now the ascent up Mt. Inari

Well, looky here! Torii gates!

From there, turn left and follow the road until it narrows down to a cemented pathway. Although this is a fairly straightforward path, keep an eye out for signages that points out the route to the peak. The hike takes around 40 minutes up to an hour depending on your pacing. 

Apparently, we're not at the peak yet. 

Finally! we reached the Kamisha-shinseki / Top of Mt. Inari

Next stop... Nakasha-shinseki

This confirms it. We are indeed at the peak of Mt. Inari!

My brother Patrick and I took this route during our hike last December 23, 2019 - the 5th day of our 2019 Japan trip. Our hike from jumpoff point (Fushimi Inari Shrine) to Mt. Inari Summit via the Bamboo Grove Course took about an hour and a half due to the fact that I stopped a lot to take photos and check out the sub-shrines along the way. 

Start of our descent to the foot of Mt. Inari

Passed by Nakasha Shinseki

Then we passed Shimosha Shinseki

Saw an amazing view from the Fushimi Inari Yotsuji

The map of the Pilgrimage Trail

During our descent, we followed the commonly used Pilgrimage Trail. We passed through more torii gates and shrines along the way. Among the shrines that we passed through, the view from the Fushimi Inari Yotsuji is something worth seeing. 

Here are some shrines that we passed through on our way down

From Fushimi Inari Yotsuji, we followed the pathway down the mountain which eventually brought us to the Fukakusa Kaidoguchicho area. We passed through more shrines like the Mimamori Fudomyoo and Araki-Jinja along the way. 

Finally back at Fushimi Inari Shrine

The Backpack Adventures at the peak of Mt. Inari

Til the next adventure!

We then walked back to Fushimi Inari Shrine to look for a restaurant to eat lunch. However, we decided to settle with the takoyaki from the street food stands near the shrine. From there, my brother and I proceeded to our next destination which is Tofukuji.

Why hike Mt. Inari?

If you have plenty of time to spare, don't just settle with just visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine. Hike up to the peak of Mt. Inari and enjoy the view along the way. If you want a more memorable experience, hike after sundown and feel the different vibe of the place. However, I highly suggest that you bring a pal along for this trip. 

Getting to Mt. Inari: 

From Kyoto City, head to Kyoto Station and ride the train to Inari Station. From there, head to Fushimi Inari Shrine which is the commonly used jumpoff point to the mountain. Unlike in the Philippines, you don't need to sign up or pay any environmental fees here. Just follow the path which leads to the peak of Mt. Inari.

Fare: 150 yen

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